Bright: Giroux Injury Has Flyers Testing Depth Again
What’s one more injury for the Flyers?
Through 28 games, the Flyers have built their Atlantic Division-leading success on the back of their depth. Role players, rookies and everyone in between has been asked to grab a bigger role, play above themselves, and by brushing off the rush of constant adversity, have been able to thrive in doing so with a surprising 18-7-3 record.
On Tuesday night, as they visit the Verizon Center to take on the Washington Capitals, the remaining healthy Flyers need to reach down one more time and come away with their best character performance yet — one without leading scorer, catalyst and top-line center Claude Giroux, who is considered questionable with a potential head injury.
Playing with scrambled lines and injury concerns is nothing new for the headstrong Flyers. As Dave Isaac points out, the team has lost 68 man games to injuries. Slotted third-line pivot Brayden Schenn has managed just six games this season because of a plethora of health issues. In his absence, fourth-line winger, Max Talbot has filled in admirably.
When one of the expected top scorers on the team, James van Riemsdyk, fell to a lower-body injury and then an upper-body injury, rookie winger Matt Read filled in. When Jaromir Jagr tweaked his groin on two separate occasions, his countryman, Jakub Voracek, played his minutes and the Flyers kept pace.
- Matt Read, 11 goals, 8 assists, 25 games played
- Max Talbot, 7 goals, 6 assists, 28 games played.
- Jakub Voracek, 4 goals, 14 assists, 28 games played
- Wayne Simmonds, 7 goals, 6 assists, 28 games played.
The Flyers have flashed their depth. Now, it’s Sean Couturier’s turn.
The rookie center, who has five goals and three assists in 28 games, has been manning the fourth-line center position and acting as the team’s penalty kill specialist. On Monday, Couturier practiced between Jagr and Scott Hartnell on the Flyers’ top unit. With 16:42 time on ice, his second most all season, Couturier did a respectable job between the two scorers in the third period of Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, filling in for injured Giroux.
Noted for his defensive acumen and his ability to play a mistake-free game, the young pivot will now be asked to step his offensive to the next level. Previously, next to Zac Rinaldo and Harry Zolnierczyk, Couturier was asked to work a simple dump-and-chase game. Now, with Jagr and Hartnell on his flank, Couturier will play a more possession and attack-heavy game.
With talent beside him and the minutes to produce in his back pocket, the pieces are in place for the former first-round pick to showcase his offensive talent and plug the hole left by Giroux. But as the Flyers have shown all season, there’s no reason to believe Couturier won’t get the job done.
Comments