Read: Playing A Lot Doesn’t Bother Dan Girardi
At 27:31 per game, Dan Girardi leads the NHL in average ice time.
Girardi has played over 30 minutes a night EIGHT times this season. John Tortorella told the Daily News that playing that much doesn’t bother Girardi:
“Yup, that’s what he plays. And it doesn’t bother him. He’s a key guy, and he has certainly stepped up, when we’ve had our injuries on our back end – and we’ve had them all year long – he has played right through it. He’s a very important guy for us.”
In the NY Post, Larry Brooks says that in a year where there has been no standout defenseman, Girardi should garner attention to win the Norris Trophy.
I think of it more as a mental thing than a physical thing. Girardi knows that he is going out there a lot but he doesn’t know the exact amount of time that he played. As long as his legs are moving and he is confident that he can play at a high level, he will. I worry that come playoff time Girardi will be gassed, but with the right amount of rest and strength, both mental and physical, he might be fine.
