Does Claude Giroux Deserve A Suspension? There were only four seconds remaining in the second period of Game 4, in which the Flyers were being dominated by the New Jersey Devils. Yet despite the lopsided nature of the game to that point, the Flyers only trailed 3-2. It was then that Claude Giroux, considered one of the top players in the entire NHL, was penalized for a hit to the head of Dainius Zubrus, who had just put the Devils in the lead. Giroux was visibly upset about a play that Devils goalie Martin Brodeur had just made that G thought should have been a penalty.

“I was just trying to finish my hit and he kind of leaned in and kind of tried to chip the puck in,” Giroux told CSNPhilly’s Sarah Baicker after the Game 4 loss. “I didn’t see the replay, so I don’t know. Obviously I’m not a dirty player. I don’t want to hit guys on the head. I was just trying to finish my hit there.”

Zubrus was not seriously injured (he even returned to the game and scored the empty net goal to make it 4-2 Devils). And Giroux is correct in that he really isn’t a dirty player. But Devils coach Peter DeBoer thinks the hit may well be suspension-worthy (Peter Laviolette disagrees).

“For me it looks textbook, like the hits they’re trying to get out of the game,” DeBoer said. “But I understand (NHL commissioner) Gary Bettman and (deputy commissioner) Bill Daly were here, and I’m sure they’ll look at that.”

Giroux is scheduled to meet with the league at 11 a.m. Monday to discuss a potential suspension. For what it’s worth, TSN’s Bob McKenzie says Giroux’s hit was a textbook Rule 48 violation. We’ll keep you updated on Giroux’s status for Game 5 as soon as we learn about it.

Weigh in: does Giroux deserve to be suspended for this hit?

UPDATED (3:05 p.m., Monday, May 7): Giroux was suspended for one game by the NHL for his hit to Zubrus and will miss Game 5 on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

-LD

[CSNPhilly, ESPNNewYork, ProHockeyTalk]

Photo: Getty Images

Is Claude Giroux the Best Player in Hockey? He did it again on Sunday, and it’s becoming a regular occurrence. Claude Giroux broke a 2-2 third period tie against the Devils with what The700Level describes as a “rocket” of a goal (watch the video here) just over four minutes in. Yes, Danny Briere was the real hero Sunday, but we digress. It was Giroux’s seventh goal of the playoffs, which is tied for most in the league (with Briere). They always say you can’t win the Stanley Cup without good goaltending, but you can win the cup when a guy playing at Giroux’s level is playing is on your team.

We asked you a few weeks ago about Giroux being the best athlete in Philly. It’s likely that his performance the past few weeks may garner him a few more votes in that poll from Philly Magazine (his opponents are the Philadelphia Union’s Freddy Adu, DeSean Jackson of the Eagles, Evan Turner of the Sixers and Hunter Pence of the Phillies).

But it’s time to think bigger than Philly. ESPN’s Barry Melrose says that Giroux is the best player in all of hockey right now. As you’ll recall, The Hockey News named Giroux the 3rd best player in the NHL back in March (behind Sidney Crosby and Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk) and in January, the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association (PSW) named Giroux their pro athlete of the year.

We want you to weigh in: has he taken his game to a whole new level? Is he the best in the league?

-LD

[The 700 Level, PhillyMag, CSNPhilly, Philly.com]

Photo: Getty Images

Turnpike Rivalry Renewed in Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the second time in three years, the Flyers are set to play the Devils in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After falling to the Devils in the 1995 and 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, the Flyers have beaten New Jersey in their last two playoff matchups (2004 and 2010).

What do you need to know about the Devils? Well, Martin Brodeur (above) is still in net and still playing well (he made 43 saves on 45 shots in last night’s Game 7 double-overtime win over Florida). The winningest goaltender of all-time will turn 40 on May 6. As for their season showdowns, the Flyers held a slight edge in the six games the teams played this year, going 3-2-1.

Will the week off hurt the Flyers? Can they handle the Devils? We’ll find out starting at 3pm Sunday, right here on NBC10.

-LD

NBC10, CSNPhilly

Photo: Getty Images

Is Sidney Crosby the Most Hated Athlete in Philadelphia? It’s been an interesting week on the Philly sports front. The Flyers are one game away from sweeping their cross-state rivals from Pittsburgh in what we’ll call an “interesting” series, the Sixers are barely clinging to a playoff spot (as The20’s @GonzoCSN writes), the Phillies are playing too late for many to watch and the Eagles are busy preparing for their just-released 2012 schedule.

But back to Crosby. There’s no debating his incredible talent as one of the best hockey players in the world. But in the past week, he’s gotten under the skin of many Flyers, fans and the NHL by being just a bit of a pain. As so eloquently described by former Flyers defenseman Chris Therien on the Flyers radio broadcast, Crosby was in the middle of — or started — nearly every skirmish that occurred in Game 3.

Today, the front page of the Philadelphia Daily News compares Crosby to the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz (to which Crosby responded Wednesday, “I’ve been called worse”).Even the Flyers are handing out shirts to all fans tonight poking fun at Sidney.

So it got us to wondering…has Crosby passed those other guys we as Philadelphia sports fans love to hate? In basketball, that would be Kobe Bryant, in baseball, David Wright, and in football, Tony Romo and Eli Manning. Is Crosby now public enemy No. 1? (If our informal Facebook poll today is any indication, the answer is yes.)

Weigh in below.

-LD

[@GonzoCSN, CSNPhilly.com, Crossing Broad, Philadelphia Daily News]

Photo: Getty Images

Is Claude Giroux Philly’s Best Athlete in 2012? Yes, it’s only April. And yes, the Phillies (despite two masterful performances from Doc Halladay) are off to a bit of a slow start. But since we all have Flyers fever as they battle our cross-state rivals in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs (how does 3-0 feel, Pittsburgh?), it’s a question worth asking.

The folks at Philadelphia Magazine are conducting a poll for some of their annual “Best of Philly” categories, and one of them is “Best Athlete.” On the list are Giroux, the Philadelphia Union’s Freddy Adu, DeSean Jackson of the Eagles, Evan Turner of the Sixers and Hunter Pence of the Phillies (we hear you, Phillies fans…no sign of Halladay, Cliff Lee or Cole Hamels).

Giroux made all of Philadelphia proud in the 1st period of today’s game by engaging in a little scuffle with one Sidney Crosby (not to mention an assist and a goal today to go along with 28 goals and 65 assists in the regular season, and Friday night’s 3-goal, 3-assist performance in Pittsburgh). But beyond that, it got us to wondering…is Giroux in fact the best Philly athlete in 2012? (note: because the magazine is published in August, the voting closes in May.)

Quick aside: The Hockey News named Giroux the 3rd best player in the NHL back in March (behind Crosby and Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk) and in January, the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association (PSW) named Giroux their pro athlete of the year.

Weigh in below…

-LD

[PhillyMag, CSNPhilly, Philly.com h/t The20’s @VictorFiorillo]

Photo: Getty Images

Is Flyers vs. Penguins The Best Rivalry in Philly Sports Today? The20’s @GonzoCSN penned an interesting piece over at CSNPhilly Friday, where he essentially calls the Flyers-Penguins rivalry the best in Philadelphia today.

“Sidney Crosby is a brilliant player, a singular talent, which makes him easy to love if you’re from the Burgh and even easier to loathe if you’re not. Pittsburgh fans boo Jaromir Jagr each time he touches the puck, even though there’s a giant mural of him painted on the wall at the CONSOL Energy Center. The two coaches don’t seem to like each other very much, and just to remind everyone of that fact, the Penguins played a video montage before Game 1 that featured the now (in)famous footage of Dan Bylsma and Peter Laviolette screaming at each other and doing their best John Calipari and John Chaney impersonations.” 

What other rivalries come close to that?

“If this isn’t the most entertaining rivalry in Philadelphia right now, what is? Hating the Mets never goes out of style, but it’s a touch less enjoyable these days considering New York’s other baseball team is in a state of disrepair. Disliking the Cowboys is a tradition, but there’s something reflexive about it — as though it’s expected of Philadelphia, and so Philadelphians comply. The Giants are natural villains, because of the geographic proximity and the success that makes Eagles fans envious. That has been a great rivalry for a long time.” 

Thoughts?

-LD

[@GonzoCSN, CSNPhilly.com]

NYC Subway Ads Take Jabs at Philly, Flyers. New Yorkers are at it again, poking fun at Philadelphia and our hockey team, this time in an effort to promote a presumably incredible morning radio show. Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason and sidekick Craig Carton’s show (called “Boomer and Carton” after much creative thinking) is running advertisements on the New York City subway system that take digs at our town.

As pointed out by The20’s Enrico over at The700Level, the ads apparently read “If you miss the train, another will come soon. (Unlike championships in Philadelphia)” and “Express trains make fewer stops (like Flyers goalies).” (EDITOR’S NOTE: Of course if you’ve ever actually missed a train in New York, you know another one rarely comes soon.)

It’s certainly an interesting advertising ploy using the two NHL squads and the disdain the cities show for one another to promote a morning radio show. Perhaps SEPTA should respond with some ads of their own. More from Enrico:

“It makes me think a company like the Philadelphia Vacuum Co. should start putting some advertisements on SEPTA trains and busses: “Philadelphia Vacuum Co. — We’re just like New York Mets players. You’ve never heard of us. And we suck.” 

What do you think? Give us your best anti-New York ad below.

-LD

The700Level

Photo: Jen C./The 700 Level

The Countdown to The Winter Classic Is On. With the Eagles losing their 7th game on Sunday, it’s officially time to move on from football season (maybe it was all just a dream?) and begin the countdown to January 2, when the Flyers will host the New YorK Rangers at Citizens Bank Park in the NHL Winter Classic. And the timing couldn’t be better.

The teams played for the first time this season on Saturday in New York (yes, the Flyers lost 2-0, but it was about more than that). From the game, one thing is clear: these teams hate each other. There was a fight four seconds in, and plenty more through the day (perhaps none better than this tilt between Wayne Simmonds and Brandon Prust).

Beyond that, HBO ran a preview of their 24/7 series Friday night that will follow the two teams up and through the game (watch here). It’s a good 12-minute sneak peek, but one thing is for certain: Brandon Dubinsky is not going to come out of this month with much love from Philadelphians.

In case you missed it last week, the Flyers unveiled their Winter Classic jerseys last Monday (they’re available to fans on the site). The Rangers are expected to do the same today at 4 p.m. (it has taken over their website).

So start the countdown…we’re only 37 days away. What are you looking forward to most about the Winter Classic?

-LD

[Birds Nest, Youtube, CSNPhilly.com, PhiladelphiaFlyers.com, Rangers.NHL.com]

Photo: Getty Images