But Flyers coach John Stevens delivered a not-so-subtle message to Claude Giroux in the summer, instructing the 2006 first-round pick to improve in the minor leagues before thinking about a promotion.

Giroux went to the AHL, where he became a ghost. No, the Hearst, Ontario native didn’t literally disappear. He joined the Philadelphia Phantoms and quickly emerged as one of the league’s most talented players, racking up 17 goals and 17 assists in just 33 games. That led to late a Christmas gift, as Giroux was called up and played his first game with the Flyers on Dec. 26, earning a spot on the team he hasn’t relinquished.

As he gets ready for help the Flyers go up against the potent Penguins in a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series that starts tonight, Giroux said his Phantoms stint was a boon for his career.

“It actually helped my game a lot being able to [log] a lot of ice time,” Giroux said after the Flyers 3-2 victory over the Islanders Saturday. “Playing on the power play, penalty kill, just playing in all those different situations helped my game.”

Stevens said he noticed the difference in Giroux’s all-around game immediately since his promotion. It also helps that Philadelphia boasts six 25-goal scorers, allowing Giroux to fill a complementary role. At 5-11, 179 pounds, Giroux provides speed as a right winger who also can win faceoffs and present different matchups.

Stevens successfully found a formal to incorporate Giroux’s skills into the team framework, playing him alongside veteran Daniel Briere, a former All-Star game MVP. After a two-game stint with the Flyers last season that featured zero points, Giroux scored nine goals and logged 18 assists in 44 games since proving his worth as a complete player to a once-skeptical coaching staff.

“He’s playing at a high level every day,” Stevens said. “We always knew he could play with the puck. But it’s his ability to play without the puck that’s allowed him to be here.”

After turning 21 in January, Giroux finished strong, scoring four goals in Philadelphia’s final eight games, which were pressure-packed contests as the Flyers were fighting for position and home-ice advantage. Philadelphia ended up behind Pittsburgh in the battle for the fourth seed, though Giroux said the games’ intensity was a good test for the best-of-seven series to follow.

“It’s a lot different than during Christmas time,” Giroux said. “The games are a lot tighter and you get less room with the puck. You have to make some quick decisions, but that’s part of hockey.”

Giroux enticed the Flyers to take him with the 22^nd overall pick after scoring 48 goals as part of a 103-point season for Gatineau Olympiques as a junior player in 2005-06. He seemed destined to justify the high draft selection, scoring 48 goals in a 112-point season for Gatineau the next season before closing out the season in the AHL.

That success didn’t translate to training camp and the preseason. Giroux’s slow maturation forced the club to send him down an entire level, though he had to walk just a few hundred feet away, where the Phantoms play in the soon to be demolished Spectrum. Once the home to the Flyers’ Cup-winning teams, Giroux thrived on the same ice the Broad Street Bullies made famous three decades ago.

“During camp, playing defensively wasn’t really important for me,” Giroux said. “I learned playing in the AHL that if I wanted to play in the NHL, I really have to be responsible. I learned a lot by playing on the “PK” with the Phantoms and against the top lines.

His upbeat attitude and scoring touch allowed Giroux to re-cross the parking lot to play at the Wachovia Center, the Flyers’ current home. Before even being allowed to drink legally, Stevens saw signs that Giroux was ready to shed the prospect tag and became a regular contributor.

“He’s been a strong performer,” Stevens said. “I think he’s allowed us to get Danny really involved. [They've] had good chemistry and he’s shown the ability to be responsible without the puck. He’s certainly been a pleasant surprise and he’s a fixture on our team.”

Living away from home continues to be an off-ice challenge for Giroux. But he said Simon Gagne and Briere have helped in that department since all three are French- Canadians.

“It was a little easier to speak to them. They just understand how hard it is when you get in the league,” Giroux said. “Every day, they come to the rink and still have fun. It’s just a big motivation to see the passion they still have.

“Everyone in general has been nice and tried to show me a good path.”

Those days are long gone, but the Knicks and Bulls still played an entertaining game on the afternoon of Martin Luther King Day. Guard Quentin Richardson led the Knicks with 24 points, as New York defeated Chicago, 102-98 at Madison Square Garden. Forward Loul Deng and point guard Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 20 points each.

The game was evenly matched the entire afternoon, with the Knicks going into the half leading 57-54. It wasn’t all good vibes going into halftime as center David Lee limped off the court after he rolled his ankle. Fortunately, he was able to play in the second half after wrapping his ankle.

Forward Danilo Gallinari saw a good amount of floor time again in his second game back from injury. In the 16 minutes he played, he scored a career-high nine points and also came up big on the defensive end with four rebounds and two steals. The crowd was into it every time he touched the ball. The 20-year old brings a type of energy that is contagious on the court. While his defense may come along slower than his offense does, Gallinari still nonetheless hustled, which doesn’t go unnoticed by his teammates.

“Coming from Italy and coming over here and being a young guy he wants to prove that he is going to be a good help for this team and a good person for the franchise long term,” Lee said.

The fact remains, however, that when Gallinari is out on the floor, the team needs to get him the ball more often. While it’s a small sample size, he has shown the ability to hit jumpers, post up down-low and drain three-pointers. Nate Robinson needs to feed him the ball more and get the kid further acclimated to scoring on the NBA level.

Robinson may start to be realizing that sooner rather than later though, as with 10:22 left in the fourth quarter, he fed Gallinari the ball, which the rookie took to the basket for his first career dunk. He hung off the rim like a crazed monkey as the crowd went wild. The cheering for the rookie continued as he nailed a three-pointer from the corner to give the Knicks a four-point lead with 9:59 left in regulation.

The other first-rounder from last year’s draft, Rose, showed what all the hype surrounding him was about. He handled the ball smoothly, netting 20 points and dishing out eight assists. With 6:16 left in the fourth quarter, he threw the ball up to the basket, which forward Tyrus Thomas dunked down to bring the Bulls to within two points.

After his team fell behind, Richardson, the leading scorer in the game for the Knicks, nailed a clutch three-pointer with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 97.

New York’s hero late in the game was point guard Chris Duhon. The former Bull scored four of the team’s last five points. The most important two, however, was when Duhon started dribbling from behind the arc, driving right under the basket for a tough lay-up. It was a gutsy move, but it was the key bucket as it gave New York a 99-98 lead with 31 seconds left in regulation. The Knicks would hold on for the win.

“He plays such a big part. He comes up with the big charge and big bucket at the end. He gutted it out, which I expected him to do,” Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said of his point guard. “It does cause some anxiety on our side, but he’s competitive all the way through.”

While it was a terrific win for the Knicks, whose record now stands at 18-24, there is still much improvement to be made. Too many loose balls are not being picked up and there are still too many interceptions caused by lazy passes.

D’Antoni, of course, notices this and said his team’s play must improve. “I don’t want to be simple, but most NBA games come down to guys either stepping up and hitting big shots or making a big defensive play, and we got to have more of that. Maybe it’s putting the right guys on the floor. It’s also confidence. It’s getting to think you’re going to hit the big shots.”

Lee, who had yet another double-double with 11 points and ten rebounds, was chanting “Danilo Gallinari” in a very Italian accent in the locker room after the game. Gallinari smiled after hearing this and gave a little nod to his teammate. He finally is starting to feel like he’s becoming a part of the team. With a few more opportunities he can become a big-time contributor for New York. Lee wasn’t the only Knick pumped up to see the kid play, as Richardson praised Gallinari saying he adds a “buzz to the crowd” when he enters a game.

He added a buzz to the Garden during last year’s NBA draft, too, but it was the wrong kind of buzz as Knicks fans were skeptical of the pick and started booing. With his competitive energy and smooth shooting prowess, Gallinari is now adding another kind of buzz to Madison Square Garden, however, this time it’s the right kind. The kind of buzz that will hopefully allow the Knicks to win more close games like this one.