Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
“A number of players, Sean Couturier being one, need to play better.” John Tortorella told the media on Monday.
Philadelphia Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella has shown he will hold players accountable, and when he does, it may ruffle a few feathers — current longest-tenured Flyers forward and captain Sean Couturier will be a healthy scratch tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Flyers, barring a tough skid, have dropped three of their last four games. Sean Couturier, newly appointed captain, with a season-low 11:10 minutes of ice time in Saturday’s 6-5 loss to the Boston Bruins, will be a healthy scratch tonight in Philadelphia.
Tortorella Needs To See More From Couturier:
Flyers bench boss John Tortorella has been very vocal with his grievances over Couturier’s recent play, among others. Going into Tuesday’s matchup with the Maple Leafs, Couturier has one point in March over a stretch of eight games.
“There is no special answer I can give you. You’ve got to play better,” Tortorella told the media after practice on Monday. “I don’t care if it’s 10 minutes, I don’t care if it’s 17, 18 minutes, I don’t care if it’s seven minutes, you’ve got to give me something to hang my hat on to keep trying to earn more ice time. I’m coaching 20 guys, not just one or two or three. It’s all of them, and those are the decisions I have to make.”
Couturier Decline, Why Is He Scratched:
A decline in production was more than expected for the veteran centerman coming off of two back surgeries and missing the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns. The 31-year-old has 11 goals, 25 assists and 36 points through 64 games this season, the most games he has played in the last five years ago.
In Couturier’s first season back, Tortorella considers him a liability at times, and he will do whatever is necessary to win important games down the stretch. If that means holding players accountable, even the captain, then so be it. Tortorella would rather the locker room be upset with him than with one another.
Couturier started the 2023-24 season as the club’s first-line center – this stayed consistent until late February – he has been on the third-fourth line regularly since. Tortorella has finally reached a breaking point, having scratched the seasoned veteran.
Couturier had the privilege to announce the news on his own accord, in doing so, he freely shared his opinion about the situation, regarding limited ice time and now being scratched:
“it’s frustrating the way I’ve been treated around here lately,” Couturier told the media following the news on Tuesday. “I’ve been putting the work in for a while. I’ve been struggling, I’ve been working on my game. But It is what it is.”
“I control what I can control. It is what it is, and I’m gonna move on. “It doesn’t matter what I think. I’ve got to leave my ego aside. Hopefully I can get back into [the lineup] soon.”
Lineup Updates, Tortorella Scratching Veterans Over Youth:
Previously with Cam Atkinson, more than of late. Atkinson has been a healthy scratch in two of the last three games, with zero points in his previous 16 games. That trend will continue tonight; Denis Gurianov, Marc Staal, Atkinson, and Couturier will come out of the lineup, with Olle Lycksell and Adam Ginning being recalled on Monday from Lehigh Valley (AHL).
This will be Couturier’s first official “healthy scratch” of the season and likely his career, as it is not a maintenance day or a restriction concern.
Samuel Ersson will start in goal for the Flyers tonight, looking to regain his confidence after a tough outing against Toronto five nights ago, allowing three goals on 12 shots before being pulled between the first and second period. On the season, Ersson is posting a 2.67 goals against average and a .898 save percentage in 39 games with a 19-14-5 record.
