New York Rangers: Dan Girardi’s top moments and more

Sacrificing the body (Eastern Conference Finals vs. Bruins)

Girardi is not afraid to put himself in front of pucks to prevent scoring chances and would play through almost everything.

Here, he gets a knee in front of a shot off the stick of Tyler Seguin (who seems dumbfounded the puck did not end up in the net) in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012.

Girardi has excelled in blocking shots throughout his career because he has focused on maintaining his positioning. He had a career high 231 blocks back in the 2010-11 season and has averaged 165 blocks per season over the past 10 years .

Play like this one of the reasons Dan Girardi is such a fun player to watch. However, it is arguably also likely what led to a drop off in his play. The general wear and tear of the game has an impact on any player. But sacrificing your body leads to injuries, which takes an even greater toll.