Some guys just don't want to be leaders. Some guys want to and just aren't good at it. I'm not sure which camp Giroux belongs to but he sure doesn't sound like a guy I'd want leading my team. Sounds like a cop out when he's basically saying "sure, I'm not playing well but nobody else is either".

 

Quote of the Day

There's no compete. We're not winning battles. We're just going through the motions. You know, we're a young team that can skate. We should be winning more battles than this. It's just frustrating to see. I know I have to be better, but a team is 20 guys and you need everybody to show up.

 Flyers captain Claude Giroux after Philadelphia's 4-1 loss in Montreal on Saturday

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I have an issue with young captains.  There are very few young stars who can be a captain.  Toews and Crosby are good examples of guys who know how.   

I didnt see much wrong with that statement though dez.   Hes frustrated about the way his team is playing.  As a leader you have to speak for everyone most of the time.  I do agree that some guys can handle and some cant.  Giroux and Ovi are guys that seem to be overwhelmed.   

Dez, I think the Flyer organization is to blame for expediting Giroux's rise to team captain... I just don't believe he was mature enough to be captain, and by the looks of this statement that still holds true....he did not earn it...the only reason he is, was that Pronger and his concussion issues left them without a playing captain....Actually I thought they should have made Hartnell or Briere captain and not put undue pressure on the kid... It certainly sounds like he is not handling it well...

Looks good on Holmgren though this guy solely has been responsible for this team's failures with a series of bad decisions , trades that have reduced the talent level of this team..I am not surprised at the state of the Flyers...

 

 

It is a little puzzling to identify effort as the problem (essentially) and then imply that you don't quite know how to fix it.

My old roomate used to confuse problems of skill and problems of effort ("I'm just not good at doing dishes").  It's funny that Giroux would explain that the compete level is lacking, note that it is a team wide problem, and then stop short of saying "I" need to take responsibility and change it.  If others guys aren't playing hard, somebody should call them out.  Like, perhaps a captain.

In response to shuperman's comment:

Shupe, I figured plenty of people would be fine with it. I'm not. I'd be very displeased to hear that come from Chara or Bergeron. To be clear, I would've been fine with his comments if he stopped talking before the last sentence. It's only that one that irks me. In all seriousness, some guys aren't cut out for it. Maybe that's why his numbers are down. Maybe it's not related. I'm just spit-balling.

dez,

i dont think hes a great leader bc he hasnt been doing it long enough.  If you break it down hes just really saying.  " ive stunk, and so has the other 20 guys.  We gotta pull our heads outta our azzes and get playing.  ". 

Captains normally speak for the team.  

Im not saying your wrong.  Takes a lot to be captain.  That team is super young.  Thats why a guy like crosby and toews are special.  

It's possible that he's like Joe Thornton & just not Captain Material. 

I don't see the problem in this quote. He said he needs to be better, but the team shouldn't sit around and wait for the other guy to step up. It has to be everyone. I like this very much, actually.

Giroux didn't name anyone in the quote. Bird called out his teammates in the 1984 NBA championship and it helped turn the series around. As long as the captain isn't naming names, I don't see a problem with it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I don't have a problem with it either, rather than single one guy out he calls himself out and would like help from the rest of the team. I'm sure its frustration talking and with a mike shoved in your face you come up with an answer that sometimes doesn't please everybody.Its who he calls out in the dressing room and how he acquits himself with his teammates that count the most.

I have no idea if he's a good leader or not, don't have a problem with the quote. I've never liked the young superstars being named captains so early in their careers.

A leader should say something more along the lines of, "the whole team needs to play better and win more battles but it needs to start with me. I'm the captain and I'm supposed to lead by example but I haven't done that yet". His comment seemed weak to me. I'm not surprised considering he's the same guy who complained that Crosby hurt him so bad in the playoffs that he needed off season surgery.

In response to dezaruchi's comment:

So its a personal dislike of Giroux thats driving your questioning of his leadership, eh Dez ?

Last season his leadership qualities were not questioned.  Maybe he had more support from guys like Courturier , Read that aren't producing at the same rate,  players that haven't returned Jagr, JVD , and this season the injury to Hartnell .  Put together all these factors with the exception of injuries and Holmgren has done a terrible job.

All this without mentioning a former captain, Richards and Jeff Carter . 

In response to BsLegion's comment:

This, in and of itself is enough to make the Flyers a much weaker team and when you factor in " Planet " Bryzgalov not knowing which orbit he's in on any given night, you have a much weaker team.   

In response to 50belowzero's comment:

LOL and let's not start with goaltending,  They brought back  Boucher and Leighton ....

 

In response to 50belowzero's comment:

Not at all. I've always questioned the reasoning behind naming him captain after his off season Crosby comments. I actually like him more than I like Crosby. I just thought he should've dealt with Crosby after a slash, not in the media after the season is over. I've always respected Giroux's skill level. I just don't think he's built to lead. On the same note, I also wouldn't want to see Marchand or Seguin named captains either. At least not for quite a few years at least.

In response to dezaruchi's comment:

Amen to that Dez.

I've heard that many Flyers didn't have a shine on Giroux before he was named Captain and less so since.

Certainly looks like it from the way they've played so far.

maybe capt. ron is available. Fliars obviously weren't ready to replace Lord Crosscheck as capitan.

Its Philthy man their goalies are sievemasters!

Hindsight suggests that maybe this wasn't a bad thing to say. 7-0 win the next game they played.

 

To be fair he was only speaking the truth, though it did seem like he was deflecting a bit. 

Good topic but I don't care about the philthadelphia cryers ;-)