The NYR Facts Of Life: #5 Dan Girardi

For each player who suited up in a Blueshirt this season we will take the good, we will take the bad and take them both and see what we have. Today's target is #5, defenseman Dan Girardi.

#5's #s: 82 games, 6 goals (1 ppg, 1 shg), 18 assists, -2, 53 PIM.

Take the good: Girardi improved from -14 in Tom Renney's system to just -2 in Tortorella's, which is quite an achievement. He scored eight of his 24 points over the final 16 games as the team made their push for the playoffs. It can even be said that Girardi combined with Marc Staal to give the Rangers their first legitimate number one pairing since Leetch/Beukeboom.

Take the bad: Let's face it, they ARE NOT Leetch/Beukeboom. We'll get to Staal later but Girardi spent several months chasing the puck around. He is all too quick to go down to the ice to attempt to block a shot, allowing the opposition to use him as a screen or to simply skate around him. He has a decent shot that he rarely uses and even more rarely gets on net. And we can certainly not forget the biggest offense of the season: Girardi stood just feet away from Marian Gaborik as the star was handed his lunch by dirtbag Dan Carcillo back in January.

Take them both and then we have: A young player who is still improving three seasons in. After that atrocious incident, Girardi took on Scott Hartnell after the evil muppet ran over young Arty in the season's penultimate match. Girardi has proved to be a capable defender - far more capable than two of his overpaid blueline brothers - but it is hard to see if he can become anything more and will be worth a big raise this offseason.