Following Game 1 Injury, Couturier Out 2 Weeks

Reports From Philadelphia Flyers

COUTURIER OUT 2 WEEKS
Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced that center Sean Couturier will be out for two weeks with an upper body injury.

The announcement comes after the Flyers held an optional practice today at the Verizon Center in Washington in preparation for Game Two.

Couturier left midway through the second period in Thursday’s 2-0 loss to the Capitals in Game 1. He appeared in 9:04 of ice time, 2:47 of which came on the team’s power-play, while recording one shot on goal.

During the regular season, Couturier posted 39 points (11g-28a) in 63 games, while averaging 18:36 of ice time per-game. His 28 assists were a new career-high, while 39 points matched his career-high set in 2013-14 having played all 82 games that season.

Game Two of the First Round series is a 7 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet or listen live on 97.5 The Fanatic.

COUTURIER INJURED IN GAME 1
Flyers center Sean Couturier left the game with just under nine minutes remaining in the second period and did not return. Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said Couturier has an upper-body injury and will be re-evaluated Friday.

Couturier was carrying the puck up the left wing and had just played a cross-ice pass when he was checked into the boards by Alex Ovechkin. Couturier remained on the ice long enough to pick up a loose puck and dump it into the Washington zone, but he then skated to the bench and went directly to the Flyers locker room.

“Obviously [Couturier] is a huge piece of our team. He goes down, but someone else has to step up. I thought we did a good job filling in for the short term,” said Wayne Simmonds.

“I think guys stepped up. I think our penalty kill guys did a great job tonight,” added Steve Mason, who stopped 29 of 31 shots in the loss.

Couturier played all 82 games in each of the last two seasons, but he missed 18 games this season with three separate injuries. He was out for six games from Oct. 24 – Nov. 3 with an upper body injury, for three games from Jan. 21-27 with a lower body injury, and then missed another nine-game stretch with a lower-body injury from Feb. 6-20. The Flyers were 5-9-4 in those 18 games.

The Flyers resume practice on Friday in Washington before a rematch at the Verizon Center in Game 2 on Saturday night at 7 p.m.