Report: Flyers center Sean Couturier out for first round with sprained shoulder

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier could be out for the rest of the first round after spraining his shoulder.

The Flyers suffered more than just a 2-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. That loss came with another huge loss as it appears that center Sean Couturier will miss the rest of the series with a sprained shoulder. He suffered the injury after his shoulder hit the boards awkwardly following being hit clean and hard by Alex Ovechkin.

If this is true (the team has yet to confirm the injury), it is a huge loss for the Flyers. Couturier was constantly matched up against the Capitals first line while he was in the game and he did a pretty good job of limiting the first line. If he is out for the rest of the series, the Flyers will have to look for a new way to stop the Capitals high octane first line of T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, and Ovechkin.

Couturier had 39 points (11 goals and 28 assists) in 63 games this season as the Flyers primary shutdown line center. That’s impressive production considering what he was asked to do on a nightly basis. His importance to the Flyers can’t be understated, as he is important to them as a face-off specialists and on their penalty kill as well.

It remains to be seen what the Flyers will do to replace him if he is out for the rest of the season, but replacing him could prove to be too difficult for Philadelphia.

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