Flyers' Couturier could play must-win Game 5
The Philadelphia Flyers might have Sean Couturier available for their must-win Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday after the top-line center missed Game 4 on Wednesday with a lower-body injury.
Couturier, named a Selke Trophy finalist Wednesday, was injured in a collision with defenseman Radko Gudas in practice Tuesday. Couturier said he is day-to-day after skating on his own Wednesday and Thursday.
The Penguins beat the Flyers 5-0 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
"I'm just coming to the rink every day, getting treatments and trying to feel better," said Couturier, who will travel with the team to Pittsburgh. "I guess the thing is see how I feel tomorrow morning.
"It's really up to my body. See how it keeps progressing and how I feel. Hopefully I'm good tomorrow."
The 25-year-old was caught expressing his frustration after the practice collision with Gudas but was sure not to blame his teammate for what he called "a bad accident."
"It's frustrating, I'm not going to lie," Couturier said. "You want to be out there battling with your teammates, especially at this time of year. It's an accident. It's stuff that happens in hockey, I guess."
Couturier enjoyed a breakout regular season, registering 31 goals and 45 assists and nearly doubling his previous career high in points with 76. He's scored three points (one goal, two assists) in the first-round series against the Penguins, all coming in a Game 2 win.
Without Couturier in Game 4, rookie center Nolan Patrick moved to the first line alongside Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek. The trio went a combined minus-8 in the loss.
"I don't know that we saw enough of the chemistry there," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "Such a short sample, but that's the time of year that it is."
Valtteri Filppula skated between Giroux and Voracek during practice Thursday, with Patrick on the second line.
--Field Level Media
