When you have a pass-first mentality, as does Flyers all-star center Claude Giroux, it's difficult to break away from old habits.
"I know I've got to shoot more. I've been talking to the coaches about it, and all my teammates tell me to shoot more and be a little bit more selfish," Giroux said after Friday's practice in Voorhees. "I'm trying to shoot, but at the same time, I know if I make the pass to those guys, it's going to be in the back of the net."
Giroux has 19 goals and 38 assists, and he entered Friday No. 2 in the NHL with 57 points. His goal production, however, has slipped since he suffered a concussion and missed four games in mid-December.
"I have a terrible shot, so I guess I'm more of a playmaker," said a smiling Giroux, whose team hosts New Jersey in a Saturday matinee. "I like to look around and see who's open. A nice pass on the tape, backdoor, is a better feeling than just being the one to put it in there."
Before scoring an empty-net goal in Thursday's 4-1 win over Nashville, Giroux had been goal-less in his last 12 games, and he had just two goals in 17 games since his concussion.
On his empty-net score, Giroux took a pass from Jaromir Jagr, who bypassed an easy shot and fed his linemate.
"It was a classy move," Giroux said "I mean, he's been a legend in this game, and he understands the game very well, and he's probably been in slumps, too, so he knows how it feels. It's not a goal I wanted to have to break the slump, but at the end of the day, they all count."
Jagr downplayed his pass.
"I think everybody on this team would do that," he said. "A lot of unselfish players on this team, and that's how it should be. It's probably going to help him, so I'm glad it was him."
Even though Giroux was in a goal-scoring slump, he has played well recently. He has won a majority of faceoffs in 10 of the last 11 games, and he has eight assists in his last nine.
Still, Giroux has not been happy with his game.
"That's what bigger players do; they always compare themselves with their best," Jagr said. "They know how good they can be, and when they don't do it each and every night, he's calling it a slump. I've been like that, too."
A perfectionist, of sorts.
Briere update. Center Danny Briere, who has missed the last four games with a concussion, took contact toward the end of practice and said he was "moving in the right direction."
Briere said he was feeling better but would not play Saturday against the Devils and was highly doubtful for Sunday's 1 p.m. game in New York against the Rangers.
Tuesday against the Islanders is a possibility.
James van Riemsdyk, sidelined the last eight games with a concussion, again declined to speak with reporters. He skated but did not take contact. Van Riemsdyk has been linked to trade rumors for Toronto defenseman Luke Schenn.
Breakaways. Ilya Bryzgalov has allowed just one goal in four of his last five starts, but Sergei Bobrovsky may get the call Saturday. . . . The Flyers have scored power-play goals in five straight games and are 8 for 20 in that span; the Devils lead the NHL in penalty killing at 89.6 percent.
Contact staff writer Sam Carchidi at scarchidi@phillynews.com or on Twitter @BroadStBull.
