As the Philadelphia Flyers get ready to face the Carolina Hurricanes on the road in Raleigh, there is a significant question looming over the entire team: Will Sean Couturier actually play on Thursday night?
Flyers head coach John Tortorella would not discuss any lineup decisions regarding the team captain, so we still do not know if Couturier will be facing off against the team the Flyers are currently slated to face in the first round of the playoffs. But one thing that has become clearer after the fiasco that was Tortorella putting Couturier as a healthy scratch at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the main issue and reason as to why Couturier was a healthy scratch can be described with one word: Pace.
14. Okay, Sean Couturier. No one should be surprised. John Tortorella has no sacred cows. Could happen to anyone and everyone with him, and he’s pushed almost every right button in Philadelphia this season. From what I’ve heard, it’s a “pace” issue. No one questions Couturier’s will or desire and no one should. He easily could have stayed injured and cashed the checks. And I don’t have a problem with his initial disappointment. Even as captain, he’s entitled to a day of frustration.
– Elliotte Friedman, Thursday’s 32 Thoughts blog
At least we are getting a clearer understanding as to why this happened.
Couturier is really the lifeblood of this team and has been for the last few years — maybe that’s why the team has sucked without him the last two years — so to kick him out of the lineup, there should be a good explanation. The 31-year-old center has not been producing the best — has six points in his last 23 games — but he has been driving play just like his former Selke Trophy-winning self. Through those 23 games, when Couturier is on the ice, the Flyers have had 57.97 percent of the shot attempts at 5-on-5, and 54.17 percent of the scoring chances at 5-on-5, as well.
On the other side of the statistical coin, during that 23-game stretch of low-production games, Couturier has been on the ice for 12 goals for the Flyers, but 30 goals for the opposition. That is a team-low 28.57 percent of the goal share. (It doesn’t help that the Flyers have a .798 save percentage when Couturier is on the ice during that stretch as well, but that’s a different conversation.)
This at least makes the healthy scratch a little bit more understandable. Couturier has not been playing well according to these numbers, letting goals pile up behind him, and according to Friedman’s source, Tortorella has a true issue with the on-ice pace that the captain has been showing — which could lead to a lack of defensive effort and allowed goals.
It would be a great help if Tortorella could have just explained all of this right away (if this is the reason) instead of dodging questions and ignoring any inquiries as to why he left the team’s captain out of the lineup.
We will just have to see who is going to be playing in Raleigh on Thursday night.
UPDATE:
Well, we got our answer. According to the lineups at morning skate, Sean Couturier will be out of the lineup once again as the Flyers face the Hurricanes.
