Last night’s report was accurate -- Flyers forward Sean Couturier will indeed miss the rest of the first round after getting hurt on a hit by Washington’s Alex Ovechkin.
The Flyers announced today that Couturier will miss two weeks with an “upper-body injury.” Based on that timeline, his return to the lineup during the playoffs would require Philadelphia to battle back from a 1-0 series deficit and eliminate the heavily favored Capitals.
It’s a huge loss for the underdogs. The 23-year-old two-way center had an excellent regular season, even generating some Selke Trophy talk down the stretch.
“Yeah, he’s been a top defensive forward for a number of years now,” goalie Steve Mason said prior to the playoffs. “I think he’s also realizing some offensive potential that I think he wants to take advantage of as well. He’s only 23 years old too, which is more impressive, I think, to be in such a primary role.”
It was reported by CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio that Couturier’s injury was an “A/C sprain to left shoulder,” which is another way of saying that Couturier separated his shoulder.