Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier scored a hat trick, five points overall, in a series-ending 8-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Moments after, it was revealed that Couturier played through a torn MCL in the team’s last two games.
Couturier played with torn MCL. Said it won’t need surgery but in regular season would have been four week recovery.
— Dave Isaac (@davegisaac) April 22, 2018
The injury was sustained during the Flyers practice last Tuesday. An accidental collision between Couturier and Radko Gudas sidelined the forward in game four. He returned to play for the final two games of the series
Sean Couturier Diagnosed With A Torn MCL
Come playoff time, it is well known that players tend to play through injuries. The Flyers end of season injury report will luckily show multiple guys with injuries. And Couturier will highlight that list.
After sustaining the injury during practice, there was no update given on Couturier’s status for the rest of the playoffs. He skated, without the team, the following two days and was named a game-time decision for game four. He would not play in that game, however.
His status remained unchanged when Friday’s game five rolled around. He was once again a game-time decision, took part in the pre-game warmup and was then cleared to play. Claude Giroux would later go on to say that Couturier told him after the morning skate that he was playing.
“Before he went on the ice, I said, ‘You gonna pull a Prongs or what?’ And I told him the story and he texted me right after the morning skate and said, ‘I’m pulling a Prongs.’ So it was pretty funny.”
Despite playing with a torn MCL, Couturier would record six points in the form of four goals and two assists in the last two games. He scored the game-winning game with 1:15 remaining to force a game six.
His hat-trick was not enough to force a game seven, however. It was his second career five-point game. It was the second time Couturier recorded a playoff hat trick. His other hat trick also came against the Penguins, this one in 2012.
Overall, Couturier had five goals and four assists in five playoff games.
Ivan Provorov Suffers Shoulder Sprain
Ivan Provorov has never missed a game thus far in his NHL career. It was briefly in jeopardy before this afternoon’s game, however. He would go hard into the boards just before Couturier’s winning goal. Provorov would play his next shift, before heading down the tunnel.
He was a game-time decision for today as Travis Sanheim took part in warmups just in case Provorov could not go. It was not needed, however, as Provorov would play. It was no question for him on whether or not he could go.
Ivan Provorov fighting a losing battle to tears: “If my arm was attached, I was playing.”
— Dave Isaac (@davegisaac) April 22, 2018
I was told yesterday by a source that Provorov had a shoulder sprain and was going to be in serious pain, especially shooting the puck and getting hit. I never really doubted he'd play through it.
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) April 22, 2018
Provorov finished with three assists in his first career playoff series.
There will likely be more injuries to come out as the Flyers take part in their final interviews for the season. Wayne Simmonds is likely to be on that list, but he told reporters that they would find that out shortly.
The Flyers ended their season with an 8-5 loss as the Penguins took the series four games to two.
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