Philadelphia's Giroux suspended for Game 5

VOORHEES, N.J. -- Claude Giroux has to watch Philadelphia's attempt at saving its post-season from the sidelines.

He can only hope he hasn't played his last game of the season with the Flyers.

Giroux was suspended by the NHL on Monday for his illegal check to the head on New Jersey centre Dainius Zubrus in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The punishment leaves the Flyers without their all-star forward and leading scorer as they try and rally from a 3-1 deficit.

Giroux will miss today's Game 5 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia's de facto captain in injured defenceman Chris Pronger's absence, Giroux defended his position with league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan for about 15 to 20 minutes on Monday.

It didn't matter. Shanahan slapped Giroux with the first disciplinary action against him in an otherwise clean four-year career. Zubrus was not injured and returned to play. That didn't matter, either.

Shanahan said in a video statement that Giroux deserved the one-game ban because he targeted Zubrus' head.

"When you look at this shift in its entirety, including the violent chop of the stick coupled with the lateness of the hit, we feel this reckless picking of the head rises to the level of supplemental discipline," Shanahan said.

Giroux said in a statement after the announcement he "respects the decision and wants to move on."

Hours earlier at the Flyers practice facility, Giroux said he never intended to nail Zubrus in the head and he is not a dirty player.

"I was trying to finish my hit and he kind of leaned in and I kind of hit him, my shoulder to his head," Giroux said before the punishment was announced. "My elbow was down. I didn't jump. I'm a pretty honest player. I'm not a dirty player. I'm not out there to hurt anybody. I was just trying to finish a hit."

The Devils feel otherwise.

"I thought it was a textbook example of what they are trying to get out of the game," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said.

Giroux was agitated when Devils goalie Martin Brodeur played the puck outside the trapezoid. Giroux barked at the officials before he skated straight at Zubrus. The Devils went on to beat the Flyers, 4-2.

Zubrus said he was fine and ready to go for Game 5.

"I was just trying to get in the forecheck and got hit," he said Monday. "The only real point of contact was my head. I know it wasn't an elbow. It was a shoulder and I went down. I am happy I can continue without stopping playing and I will be in the lineup tomorrow."

Giroux had stronger words for the Flyers, saying they were "panicking" and have lost confidence.

"We're not playing our game," Giroux said. "We need to relax a little bit. Everybody's just panicking a little bit. We need to relax. We need to have a little more confidence in our game."

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 8, 2012 D3