Flyers' Couturier to miss four weeks with lower-body injury
The Philadelphia Flyers' bid for the postseason suffered a significant hit on Friday as the team announced that second-line center Sean Couturier will be sidelined four weeks with a lower-body injury.
The Flyers' top defensive forward, Couturier played in just two games since returning from a two-week absence due to the injury. The 23-year-old Couturier exited in the second period and did not return in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators.
INJURY UPDATE: Sean Couturier will out approximately 4 weeks with a lower-body injury, per #Flyers GM Ron Hextall.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) February 5, 2016
Coach Dave Hakstol told reporters that he is looking for a number of players to step up in his absence. Via The Courier Post:
"(Couturier) is a big loss to our team, but we've got a bunch of guys here that believe in what we're doing. Everybody's gonna have to chip in and take a little bit of that slack. One guy's not gonna step into that role and do it all. Everybody's got to step in."
Philadelphia has struggled mightily without Couturier in the lineup, going 2-6-1 and yielding 31 goals in his absence.
Couturier has collected nine goals and 15 assists in 40 games this season for the Flyers (23-18-8), who have won three in a row and are 8-3-1 in their last 12. Couturier's 24 points are fifth-best on the team.
