Couturier’s absence muddles plans for any line changes
PHILADELPHIA » With Sean Couturier missing Game 4 due to what’s officially listed as a low-down injury of the body, coach Dave Hakstol’s plans to create a couple of dynamic scoring lines was altered Wednesday night.
Hakstol did stick with the plan of moving Jake Voracek to the top line and keeping Wayne Simmonds and Travis Konecny together on the second. But without Couturier as an anchor, the top line had chemistry issues in a 5-0 loss in Game 4 that pushes the Flyers to the brink of elimination.
What’s more, Hakstol chose to take second-line center Nolan Patrick and move him up between Voracek and left wing Claude Giroux, rather than move Giroux to center to take Couturier’s place.
Not only did that force Patrick to adjust, it took him off the second line, blunting any effect the wing tandem of Konency and Simmonds could muster. Instead of Patrick causing havoc in front, Valterri Filppula was on that line trying to keep up.
It didn’t bode well for the Flyers from the start. It was not a surprise when the first period ended in a two-goal Penguins lead, and things progressed mostly terribly from there.
It does indicate that with the offseason closer than ever now for the Flyers, questions will abound for general manager Ron Hextall on how he’d like to approach what could be a summer of change ... or another offseason of waiting for younger players to develop.
Simmonds, a longtime Flyers warrior, could be the key piece of offseason moves. He did score 24 goals, but only mustered 22 assists and was a minus-16 on the season. The Flyers’ lone representative to the 2017 All-Star game, Simmonds, who turns 30 on Aug. 26, was slowed by injuries all season long.
He does, however, seem to have a good rapport with Konecny, though the blooming Flyers star really blossomed while doing his magic tricks on the top line with Couturier and Giroux. For better offensive balance now, though, Hakstol likes how Konecny works with the more physical Simmonds. Simmonds prefers it, too. “I think he’s done a good job,” Simmonds of Konency. “He’s a feisty guy. He’s in your face, he causes a lot of havoc. So if he continues to do what he does we’re going to get a ton of opportunities off of it and he’s going to get opportunities himself.”
It remains to be seen if Simmonds will stick around with the Flyers beyond this playoff season. For a player of his stature, he has an attractive contract, just one season remaining with a cap hit of $3.9 million.
The problem is he looked slow and out of sorts through a firstround playoff series that is all but lost now to the Penguins.
So it’s quite an unknown whether Hextall would want to trade Simmonds, and an even bigger unknown as to who might want him.
*** NOTES » Poetically, shortly after announcing that Couturier was not available for Game 4 Wednesday night, the announcement came across that Couturier was one of three finalists in the voting for the Selke Award as best defensive forward. Four-time Selke winner Patrice Bergeron of Boston and Anze Kopitar of the Kings, the 2016 recipient, are the other finalists . ... Jordan Weal got his first bit of action, taking Couturier’s lost roster spot . ... Patric Hornqvist was out for the Penguins with an injury . ... Simmonds on having chatty Konecny by his side: “Yeah he doesn’t stop talking too much; sometimes he’s annoying. But he’s a great kid, great player. He’s awesome to have around.”