As if the Flyers weren't enough of an underdog in their series against the Washington Capitals, their deck is further stacked with the loss of Sean Couturier for two weeks.
Couturier left the game midway through the second game after a hit along the boards from Alexander Ovechkin, and did not return, thus bringing a premature end to his fourth playoff series as a Flyer. The 23-year-old pivot is the Flyers' best defensive forward, and in 19 games without him this season, they've gone 6-9-4.
With Couturier out, expect Scott Laughton back into the lineup, for his playoff debut. Laughton found himself a healthy scratch for eight of the Orange and Black's last 10 games, and figures to find time on the penalty kill.
The Flyers and Capitals face off from Verizon Center at 7 p.m.
| Flyers Leaders | GP | G | A | P | Capitals Leaders | GP | G | A | P |
| Claude Giroux | 78 | 22 | 45 | 67 | Evgeny Kuznetsov | 82 | 20 | 57 | 77 |
| Wayne Simmonds | 81 | 32 | 28 | 60 | Alex Ovechkin | 79 | 50 | 21 | 71 |
| Brayden Schenn | 80 | 26 | 33 | 59 | Nicklas Backstrom | 75 | 20 | 50 | 70 |
| Jakub Voracek | 73 | 11 | 44 | 55 | Justin Williams | 82 | 22 | 30 | 52 |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 64 | 17 | 29 | 46 | T.J. Oshie | 80 | 26 | 25 | 51 |
| Player to Watch | |
| 10 Brayden Schenn | 43 Tom Wilson |
| Series: 0 G, 2 A, 2 P, -3 | Series: 0 G, 0 A, 0 P, E, 7 PIM |
| Goalie Matchup | |
| 35 Steve Mason | 70 Braden Holtby |
| Series: 0-1, 2.07 GAA, .935 SV% | Series: 1-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 SV% |
Steve Mason returns to the crease for the Flyers, after stopping 29 saves on 31 shots in the series opener. Mason had kept the Flyers in the game with a flurry of critical saves, and the score may have been much higher without his acrobatics. The Orange and Black surely owe Mason a few goals, for his Game 1 heroics.
Braden Holtby had his work cut out for him on Thursday with a 19-save shutout, holding the Flyers without a goal for the first time since their 2011 quarterfinal matchup against Buffalo. Holtby didn't face much quality scoring chances, and largely benefited from blocked shots in front of him.
Flyers Projected Lineup:
Scratches: Sean Couturier, Evgeny Medvedev, R.J. Umberger, Jordan Weal, Michael Del Zotto
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| 93 Jake Voracek | 28 Claude Giroux | 17 Wayne Simmonds |
| 12 Michael Raffl | 10 Brayden Schenn | 89 Sam Gagner |
| 21 Scott Laughton | 52 Nick Cousins | 24 Matt Read |
| 76 Chris VandeVelde | 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare | 25 Ryan White |
| Defense | ||
| 47 Andrew MacDonald | 53 Shayne Gostisbehere | |
| 55 Nick Schultz | 32 Mark Streit | |
| 23 Brandon Manning | 3 Radko Gudas | |
| Goalie | ||
| 35 Steve Mason |
With Couturier sidelined, expect Brayden Schenn to take his center spot on the second line. Scott Laughton is likely to slot on the third line, rather than breaking up the fourth line.
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (T-11th, 11th on road), Capitals (5th, 8th at home)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (T-20th, 14th on road), Capitals (2nd, 3rd at home)
- Series at a Glance:
- April 14, 2016 — Braden Holtby posted a 19-save shutout, while Marcus Johansson registered two assist in a 2-0 Game 1 win over the Flyers. John Carlson recorded a power play goal, while Jay Beagle tallied the insurance marker at 16:36 of the third period. The Orange and Black also lost Sean Couturier to injury midway through the third period, and will be without him for the series.
- Flyers Playoff History vs. Capitals
- 1984 Patrick Division Semi-final: Capitals win series, 3-0
- 1988 Patrick Division Semi-final: Capitals win series, 4-3
- 1989 Patrick Division Semi-final: Flyers win series, 4-2
- 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Flyers win series, 4-3
- Flyers leaders vs. Capitals
- Claude Giroux – 29 games, 15 goals, 16 assists, 31 points
- Jake Voracek – 25 games, 11 goals, 7 assists, 18 points
- Shayne Gostisbehere – 3 games, 0 goals, 3 assists, 3 points
- Steve Mason – 16 games, 8-5-2, 2.71 GAA, .908 Sv%
Where to Watch
TV: CSN, NBCSN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia and Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
