Avalanche's Samuel Girard: Pockets assist Thursday

Girard logged an assist and three blocked shots in Thursday's 6-2 win over the Panthers.

Girard ended a 10-game point drought in a game that saw 13 of the Avalanche's skaters get on the scoresheet. He set up Nathan MacKinnon's tally in the second period. Girard's lack of offense and the overall health of the blue line has led to the 27-year-old slipping into a third-pairing role with minimal power-play time. He's produced three helpers, 11 shots on net, 19 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over 16 appearances this season.