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VOORHEES, New Jersey – The Flyers have allowed 5.25 goals per game in their last four games and face the NHL’s most prolific scorer on Tuesday night in the heat of a playoff race.
John Tortorella has decided to fight Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs without Sean Couturier.
Without the player who has a “C” on his jersey and a 2019-20 Selke Trophy on his resume.
The couturier will be a healthy scratch.
Tortorella, a veteran coach with a Stanley Cup ring, has pushed a lot of the right buttons this season. But without a doubt, this is one of his boldest decisions in two seasons with the Flyers.
Couturier, as competitive as can be, a center that nothing comes easy against me, was visibly disappointed Tuesday after skating in the morning.
“It’s difficult,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been working for a while, I know I’ve been struggling, trying to work on my game. I’m definitely frustrated with the way I’ve been treated, I guess, lately. It is what it is.”
Amid the struggles, the 31-year-old saw a roster demotion starting in mid-February. His minutes were reduced considerably. After missing nearly 22 months due to two back surgeries, Couturier opened the season healthy and as the Flyers’ first-line center. He performed and was used as such despite the long layoff.
Recently, Couturier’s game seems to be improving. While the Flyers have given up goals at a worrying rate, Couturier has recorded one assist, has won 26 of his 40 faceoffs (65 percent) and has just a -1 rating.
Could now be the time to get more minutes and trust a man highly regarded for his defensive record?
“I think there are several players, him being one of them, that need to improve,” Tortorella said Monday after practice.
As the Flyers host Toronto (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP), Couturier will watch along with Cam Atkinson, Denis Gurianov and Marc Staal.
“I’ve gotten the same responses as you guys, I just need to see more,” Couturier said. “I’m still looking to figure out what that is. I’m trying every game, it’s not like I’m just sitting around or doing nothing, I guess. I felt like the last two games, with limited ice time or opportunities.” I’ve been doing well, but I guess we’re going to have the best lineup available tonight to get a win, so it is what it is.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter what I think. I guess I just have to put my ego aside. Hopefully the team finds a way to get a win here tonight and I can do it again soon.”
Couturier played a season-low 11:10 minutes last Saturday in the Flyers’ 6-5 loss to the Bruins. He has played less than 13 minutes four times in the last 14 games. In his previous six seasons, he had never played less than 13 minutes in a full game.
Is the reduction in minutes a way to control Couturier’s workload or is it strictly related to performance?
“I think it’s more a question of Torts and how Torts manages his minutes,” assistant coach Rocky Thompson said Tuesday. “I can’t get into our head coach’s mind like that. I think Coots has done a good job, works extremely hard in practice and is trying to get better, without a doubt.”
In late February, Tortorella said the reduction in Couturier’s usage was not about managing his minutes.
Suffice it to say that a bench this time of year will test a competitor like Couturier, a Flyer since he was 18 years old.
“I control what I can control, it is what it is,” he said. “We continue.”
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