So far, the Flyers are 1-1-1 in their first three games. That may not sound impressive, but when you consider that the regulation loss was a 2-1 game and that all three games have come against the Eastern Conference finalists (Florida and Carolina), that's starting to look a lot better.
The Flyers' first win of the season came in the rematch with the reigning Stanley Cup champions. It was a 5-2 drubbing of the Panthers. Leading the way was Flyers' captain Sean Couturier. In a break-out game for the savvy vet, he scored two goals with two assists. He also won 50% of his faceoffs. So far this season, he has won 59.7% of all faceoffs he has taken part in. Surprisingly, he also played the least amount of time in this game (16 minutes) than in the previous two (over 20 minutes).
If you've watched the Flyers over the last five years, you may have thought that Couturier was washed up. The one-time Selke Trophy winner has been a shell of himself after missing the 2022-23 season. His stats rebounded a bit last year; however, that came with a lot of controversy.
John Tortorella had relegated Couturier from a top-six forward to a lower-tier player. Near the end, he was playing less than 15 minutes a game. For a warrior who's given his all to this club, that was an insult. Not one to mince words, Couturier shared his frustrations.
Turning a New Page?
Current Flyers coach Rick Tocchet played a similar style to Couturier. Granted, Tocchet was a bit more reckless and physical. Couturier has been a more prolific scorer. However, they both left it all out there on the ice. They both gave their heart, souls, and bodies to this organization. There has never been a time when you can say that these two quit on the ice.
Because of that, I think these two have formed a strong bond. Instead of humiliating him in front of his teammates, Couturier's advice has been sought out. His leadership skills have been put to good use throughout training camp. You can see the two working together and talking about the team.
You saw this play out in the home opener. Coutuier led the way, and the team followed. He scored twice, set up Tyson Foerster for the game's first goal, and helped Christian Dvorak close the game out on an empty netter.
Couturier seems to be enjoying playing hockey again. He looks freer because he is free. He is playing hockey the way he wants, and it is paying off dividends. The rest of the team is watching and taking notes.
It's still unclear what this team is and what it will be. They aren't as bad as we thought, especially considering all the defensive injuries. However, this is a team that won't give up. That's a good sign for the future of the Flyers. This might be a fun season after all.
It all starts with Couturier. He is the litmus test for how this team will perform. If he takes off, watch the Flyers soar with him. It's good to see the old Couturier back.