Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (concussion) isn't expected to play on Tuesday against Winnipeg. He's been out for three games with a concussion. Girard contributed with three goals and 15 assists in 58 regular-season appearances while also recording 76 hits and 99 blocks. Caleb Jones will continue to work on the blue line in his absence. Jones logged 11:57 of ice time in Game 1 against the Jets and had two hits with an even rating in a 13-goal thriller. Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Sean Walker all played at least 23 minutes and will do the heavy lifting again at the back on Tuesday.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard is battling an illness, leaving him with a question mark for Thursday's matchup against the Rangers. The 25-year-old has made 51 appearances with the Avalanche this season, contributing three goals and 15 assists with 66 shots on net. Defensively, Girard has tallied 92 blocks and 68 hits while averaging close to 20 minutes of ice time. Caleb Jones will be Girard's likely replacement in the lineup on Thursday if he can't shake off the illness. Forward Joel Kiviranta is also feeling under the weather, so Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar might be forced into more than one change in his lineup.
Samuel Girard Delivers Three Assists In Tuesday's Win
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard picked up three assists as the team crushed Ottawa 7-4 on Tuesday. Two of Girard's helpers, including one on the power play, came during Colorado's four-goal outburst in the third period. Girard isn't a consistent contributor offensively, but he has put together a three-game point streak. The 25-year-old boasts 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in total for the season in 24 games, with 29 shots on goal, 31 hits, and 46 blocks.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (personal) has announced that he will be back in the lineup Sunday versus San Jose. Girard has been unavailable for 20 games after entering the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program. He made 15 appearances this season before exiting the lineup, posting four points (one goal, three assists) with 18 shots on goal, 15 hits, and 25 blocks. The 25-year-old will join Bowen Byram on the second defensive pairing against the Sharks.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The 25-year-old has missed the past few games for personal reasons and will remain out for an indefinite period of time. In a statement, Girard admitted that he has struggled with alcohol abuse and has been suffering from severe anxiety and depression. Girard, who won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, has posted four points (one goal, three assists) in 15 games with a minus-seven rating this season. His absence has left the Avalanche without a top-four defenseman, with Josh Manson moving up in the lineup.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (personal) won't be available for a second consecutive game Wednesday versus Vancouver. He missed Monday's 4-3 loss to Nashville for personal reasons and isn't ready to return on Wednesday. Girard has come out of the lineup after amassing three points in two games, but the 2023-24 season hasn't brought him much success offensively in general, as the 25-year-old sits on four points through 15 outings. Girard's next chance to return comes on Friday against Minnesota.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (lower body) will return from a six-game absence Wednesday versus Vancouver. The team gets much-needed help at the back, with multiple defensemen currently sidelined. Girard will join Josh Manson on the second defensive pairing and he will also be skating on the second power-play unit. The 24-year-old will look to add to four points. He has also amassed 15 shots, nine hits and seven blocks in 11 games this season, carrying a minus-three rating. With the defending champions currently picking everybody apart, Girard should get his plus/minus in order pretty quickly.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (lower body) will miss a fourth consecutive game Thursday against Carolina. He has been listed as day-to-day since dropping out of the lineup, but the 24-year-old is struggling to shake off a lower-body problem. Girard has been able to get four points in 11 games this season, adding 15 shots, seven blocks and nine hits to his account. The defending champions have a bit of a blue-line crisis going on right now, with Bowen Byram (lower body) and Kurtis MacDermid (lower body) also unavailable. It's pushed Jacob MacDonald to the second defensive pairing and Andreas Englund has received a promotion from the minors.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram is set to replace Samuel Girard (sternum) on the second power-play unit. Girard has been ruled out for the rest of the playoffs, which gives Byram an opportunity to step into a more significant role. The 20-year-old has shown a lot of upside and will hope to have a much bigger impact for the rest of the way after going for just one point in seven postseason games. Girard's spot in the lineup appears to be going to Jack Johnson, who will make his first playoff appearance of the year in Monday's Game 4 against the Blues.
Samuel Girard Done For Playoffs After Game 3 Injury
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard broke his sternum in Saturday's Game 3 win over St. Louis and will miss the rest of the playoffs. The versatile blue-liner managed to soak in just 56 seconds of action before getting hurt on a check by Ivan Barbashev. Girard was taken to straight to a hospital, and Colorado's first defensive pairing of Cale Makar and Devon Toews ended up logging huge minutes. Colorado has lost a big piece, as Girard has been a valuable piece all over the ice during the playoffs with three points, 16 blocks and six hits. He's played over 21 minutes on most nights, and head coach Jared Bednar now has to figure out how to resume the proceedings with one of his top defensemen missing.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (lower body) will not play Thursday against the host Carolina Hurricanes and has been sent back to Colorado to be evaluated further. Head coach Jared Bednar told the media there is no timetable for Girard's return pending his assessment back in Colorado. The 23-year-old blueliner has scored 27 points (five goals, 22 assists) in 56 games this season which is on par with his best career campaigns, although he hasn't tallied a point since February 26 and hasn't scored a goal since January 26.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard will not take the ice as his team takes on the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Girard is currently battling an undisclosed injury and has been labeled as day-to-day. The Quebec native has had a difficult time generating offense in the early part of the campaign, having registered just two assists, a minus-five rating, four shots and three hits in five contests thus far. Expect the Avs to give rookie blueliner Bowen Byram (43% owned in Yahoo! leagues) even more minutes with Girard out.