The Philadelphia Flyers have started to string a couple of wins together lately and should thank the 2018 Selke Trophy runner-up for helping lead the way.
While they’re still sitting in the bottom of the Metropolitan Division at the time this article was written, it’s impossible to say as a Philadelphia Flyers fan that I’m not happy with the way they’ve played recently. It’s taken a team-effort to earn these wins, but one player in particular has rose to the occasion with some great performances on both sides of the puck. That player is none other than Sean Couturier.
Couturier is currently riding a five game point streak, scoring a total of nine points (4 Goals, 5 Assists) during said span. He helped lead the Flyers to their first winning streak of 2019 in their 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins with a hat-trick on the evening. The 2011 first round pick also did a solid job of creating scoring chances in that game, tying for best on the team in High Danger Chances For. I mentioned in this article about how Couturier was quietly having himself a good statistical season and that still holds true about a month later.
The eight year NHL veteran is now tied for second on the team in points with 38 on the year, trailing captain Claude Giroux by 14 for first. He leads Philadelphia in overall goals and goals at even-strength as well, which is very impressive given he tallied just three in 11 games to begin the season. The numbers he’s posting are no longer on the quiet side and will definitely stay that way if he continues to impress.
It was safe to say Couturier wasn’t his 2017-18 self when the 2018-19 campaign began, but has really turned it around and looked like that player in these last couple of contests. He is on pace for 72 points, which is just six points behind his total from last year. This Flyers season has obviously been a disappointment as a whole, but it’s good to see players like Coots put it together after slow starts to build a little confidence for the future.
Couturier will have the opportunity to extend his point streak to six games when Philadelphia takes on the Montreal Canadians on Saturday. I wouldn’t be surprised to see another great game out of the center-man, as he’s scored 15 points in 21 career games against the Habs.