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Flyers to ice ‘French Connection’ line tonight

BriereGagne

The Flyers will take a page out of the Sabres’ history book on Wednesday.

Philadelphia will ice a modern version of the French Connection line -- made famous in Buffalo during the 70s by Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert -- by putting Sean Couturier between Daniel Briere and Simon Gagne to face the Devils in New Jersey (on NBCSN).

“I like it,” Couturier told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We can speak French and get some strategy going without the other team knowing it.”

Couturier, 20, is from Bathurst, New Brunswick -- a city where over 50 percent of the population speaks French only. He’ll be the baby-faced (or, visage poupin) center for the 33-year-old Gagne (from Sainte-Foy, Quebec) and the 35-year-old Briere (from Gatineau, Quebec).

“Hopefully, with the other two French guys, we can start to do something,” Briere told the Inquirer. “I played with Simon quite a bit before, so at least it’s someone that I know, and we’ve got some young legs with us.”

Gagne and Briere were occasional linemates during Philly’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2010, combining for 42 points as the Flyers lost in six games to Chicago in the finals.