Samuel Girard’s season didn’t start on time. He was in the lineup on opening night, but he didn’t get the same type of preparation as the rest of his teammates.
The Avalanche’s 27-year-old defenseman missed all of training camp recovering from an injury. He didn’t return until late in the preseason and dressed in one game. Then he played the first two games of the year before an injury kept him out for another month.
“His season is just getting going. That’s the truth,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “You miss the end of summer training, training camp, come back, play a couple of games, and then you’re out for another significant length of time. I think that now you’re hitting the part of the season where everyone’s up and running at full go, and you’re playing catch-up. So that takes a little bit of time.”
It’s safe to say that Girard is all but caught up at this point. He’s fit nicely on the third pair with Sam Malinski after Josh Manson was moved to the left side to play with Brent Burns following Girard’s injury in October.
In 21 games, Girard is up to eight points. Six of those have come in the last six games.
“He’s always done a nice job coming back from injuries, but now we’re starting to see his game really start to come around, and hence the production,” Bednar said.
Colorado’s third pair was a highlight in a game that didn’t have many highlights. It was Scott Wedgewood who shined in goal, and Bednar was adamant that he was the best player on the ice. I don’t think any of us can disagree with him.
But even aside from Girard’s goal, that pairing with Malinski is starting to click. We’ve already seen Burns and Manson break out, and now the two Sams are rounding out what looks like arguably the deepest defense core this team has had since winning the Stanley Cup.
“They were moving the puck efficiently. They were defending hard. They weren’t giving up a lot,” Bednar said. “They didn’t have any troubles versus a rush. Like, there are so many different categories that we evaluate those guys on. But that game tonight — they’ve played some really good games here recently, both of them and as a pair. That’s a good sign for the team.”
READ MORE: The Aftermath: Wedgewood Shines, Sends Avalanche Into Break on High Note
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