Flyers need Claude Giroux to start producing

Center Claude Giroux insists he is healthy, insists an injury has nothing to do with his mostly ineffective play in the series against powerful Washington.

The Flyers' captain has just one point over five games, and he has uncharacteristically lost the majority of faceoffs in the last four games, making some believe he has wrist issues that have hindered him in the past.

"I know I can play better. It's some tight hockey out there. I think 5-on-5 there's not much on both sides," he said as the Flyers, trailing three games to two in the series but winners of two straight, prepared to host the Capitals on Sunday at noon. "I think that's playoff hockey. You can't let the frustration get to you, and you just need to keep battling and just try and make plays out there."

Is he healthy?

He paused.

"I'm good, yeah," he said.

Added Giroux:  "Obviously you want to produce, you want to do everything you can to be able to help the team win; it could be offensively or defensively. I think you look at the stats, obviously our line, we want to produce more. But at the end of the day it's about getting the win. If you've got to play defensively and in your zone for half of the game....if you have to do that, you have to do that."

Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said Giroux was "being keyed on an awful lot. He's playing against a couple of pretty good defensemen pretty much on every shift. When that happens you just have to look for small ways that you can affect a hockey game. There's not gonna be anything that comes easy for sure, 5-on-5, when you're in that situation. For him, it's just going back and continuing to compete hard and continuing to do a good job as a leader and eventually, he's gonna have a major impact on the outcome of our games."

Entering the series, Giroux was 22d in NHL history, averaging 1.06 points per game.

Gamesmanship. Washington coach Barry Trotz has sent videos to the NHL, complaining about what he considered dirty hits by the Flyers.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall was asked if he was joining in the gamesmanship and complaining about the Capitals to the league.

"You know what, we chose to focus on our own team and we will continue to focus on our own team," he said.

Schultz' heroics. Unsung defenseman Nick Schultz has blocked 19 shots in the physical series.

"Everyone has a job they have to do and that's my role out there on the penalty kill with (Alex) Ovechkin there shooting the puck," he said. "We know we have to get out there and get in the lane. It's all part of it. You've got to take pride in whatever your role is on the team and make sure you do it to the best of your ability."

Schultz, who has a purple bruise and stitches near his right eye thanks to a high stick from the Caps' Justin Williams, expects an electric atmosphere Sunday.

"It's going to be pretty awesome," he said. "The start of Game 3 with the (Ed Snider) ceremony and stuff, the crowd was probably the loudest building I've ever played in or been a part of. It's fun and it's going to be exciting. The fans get amped up and it gets the players going. It's going to be a fun atmosphere and we've got to take advantage of the crowd for sure."