VOORHEES, N.J. – There was a time not that long ago when you could pencil in Sean Couturier as a first line center on the Flyers’ lineup card any given night.
But this season, those nights have become less frequent.
Currently the team captain has been relegated, at times, to the fourth line and for good reason. He hasn’t scored a goal since Dec. 7 against Colorado, a drought of 27 games.
The 33-year-old is the longest tenured Flyer, so when coach Rick Tocchet met with him to discuss the current situation, there was an air of respect in the talks.
“I’ve been struggling putting the puck in the net, that’s for sure,” Couturier said after Monday’s practice at the Flyers Training Center. “Probably been gripping the stick at times when I get really good quality chances.
“We’ve had conversations. He’ll probably move me around in the lineup. Just be ready. Doesn’t matter my role. Try to do what I can to help the team. I’ll be ready in any situation I’m in.”
Couturier, 33, has just five goals in 53 games. At this pace, he will finish the season with about eight. The lowest total of his 14-year NHL career in a season of at least 50 games is 11.
“I definitely need to be better and help this team offensively,” he said. “I’m making plays out there, I just need more out of myself.”
Couturier has not had a 20-goal season since 2019-20.
“I put pressure on myself to help offensively,” he admitted. “Things really haven’t been going my way lately. It’s tough. You have to find a way to fight through it.”
To make matters worse, his plus-minus number has dropped to minus-7.
Many of Couturier’s 211 NHL goals have come from close range and that’s something he’s been working on.
“It’s getting back to the basics of going to the net,” Couturier said. “Have it (the puck) hit my skate or my pants. Just get a bounce and kind of loosen up.”
Tocchet knows Couturier brings a lot to the table. When No. 14 won the Norris Trophy for NHL’s best defensive forward in 2019-20, he was a plus-21 playing against the likes of stars such as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
“He’ll get his minutes,” Tocchet said. “I think, for example, when he gets behind the net he doesn’t move his feet. When you move your feet, options open. When you stand still, options close. That’s really what it comes down to.”
The dialogue has been important.
“It’s huge,” Tocchet said. “At this point in the season, I’m spending more time with guys who are struggling.”
Couturier has spent various times of the season with proven scorers such as Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett. Both those players are having fine seasons and some of the credit has to go to Couturier, who does have 21 assists.
The key for Couturier is to keep things moving and he knows that.
“He has a habit of kind of staring his options down and he doesn’t move his feet,” Tocchet said. “He knows it. I thought in practice today he was really concentrating on that. He was concentrating on fundamentals.”
Couturier has this season plus four more left on an eight-year contract which pays him $7.75 million per year.
>Next two games vital
With the Flyers at least seven points out of a playoff spot heading into Monday night action, the players know they need strong performances against Washington on Tuesday night and Ottawa on Thursday night before the Olympic break.
“The way we played those last two periods (against Los Angeles on Saturday), I think it gives us confidence that we can play with anyone,” Couturier said. “It’s really on us to pull off these efforts consistently for 60 minutes.
“We have to get back to the basics of competing, winning one-on-one battles every shift and being hard to play against.”
Christian Dvorak agrees that it’s important to take some positives into the break.
“You want to go into the break with some momentum,” he said. “Some positive energy. These last two games are obviously big ones.”
>Short shots
Tocchet said goaltender Sam Ersson’s injury is not too serious and there’s a chance he will play in one of these last two games. Aleksei Kolosov was recalled from Lehigh Valley on Monday in case Ersson isn’t ready to back up Dan Vladar.
Travis Konency had the day off for maintenance. . .Tocchet indicated defenseman Emil Andrae, who’s been a healthy scratch the past three games, should see some action this week.
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