Tag: Sean Couturier

Flyers forward Sean Couturier was named the winner of the Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy, presented annually to “the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game,” for the 2019-20 season on Thursday.

Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher had his exit day media availability on Thursday afternoon and touched on a number of topics from the progress of the season, what went wrong in the playoffs and what’s ahead for the Flyers in the offseason.

The winner of the Jack Adams Award was announced on Wednesday night, with Boston Bruins’ head coach Bruce Cassidy taking home the honor. Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault finished a close second in the voting. Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coach John Tortorella was the other finalist and finished third.

Cherry Hill, NJ native Bobby Ryan was named the winner of the Masterton Memorial Trophy, presented to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom was also a finalist.

This is what is so hard about this Flyers loss. It’s not that it’s the end of the season. This happens for 15 other teams in the playoffs without a reward. Only one team comes away with the Stanley Cup. What’s so hard is having to once again hear “there’s always next year,”… and not knowing when next year really is.

The Flyers never had the answers. They could never counter the Islanders desire to finish this series. So it goes in the playoffs sometimes. Make no mistake, it’s disappointing, and this loss stings knowing the season is over, but there is a lot to take from this season. For now, let’s take a closer look at the game that did the Flyers in.

It all comes down to this. Game 7 to decide who goes to the Eastern Conference Final and who goes home. If it’s anything like the other games in this series, you can expect a close, hard-fought battle to the finish where only one thing is certain: this game will end with handshakes at center ice.

Following a 270-day period where he was diagnosed, went through chemotherapy and made his road to recovery, Oskar Lindblom was back in a game for the Flyers in Game 6 on Thursday night. “This guy’s heart, you have to see it to believe it,” Claude Giroux said.

In a wild, back-and-forth tilt, both teams showed the qualities and identity that they have established. This series has been as hard-fought as they come. Neither team quits. Ever. And it showed in Game 6 as both sides assumed control at different points and as the game drug on into the night.

The Flyers have a chance to force this series to the brink with a win in Game 6, and it could require them to do so without one of their top players in the process.

Just like in Game 2, when the Flyers let another 3-1 lead in the third period get away, they had the answer in overtime. It took over 12 minutes, but the Flyers remain alive in the series with a deflection goal by Scott Laughton. 5 takeaways from Game 5.

The Flyers are not dead yet. A point shot by Ivan Provorov was deflected by Scott Laughton and beat Semyon Varlamov to give the Flyers a 4-3 overtime win in Game 5 that keeps their season alive. 

There is a chance this could be the last game of the 2019-20 season for the Flyers. There is a chance their time in the Toronto bubble will end. But it is also in the control of the Flyers to try to make a push and at least inch their way back into the series with a win in Game 5 and forcing a Game 6.

It played out so much like the other games in the series. The Flyers had their moments. The Islanders had more of those moments. They used turnovers and transition plays to their advantage again. And while the Flyers had more shot volume and traffic to the net than in previous games, the goalie who kept them in Game 2 made sure they were in Game 4 and got the result needed.

The Islanders scored twice in the third period, helping to put away the Flyers in the game and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series with a 3-2 win on Sunday night.

The Flyers are in a must-win position in Game 4, as they get right back at it on Sunday night. A win evens the series and sets the Flyers up for a best-of-three to decide the winner of the series. A loss puts their backs against the wall with three games for the Islanders to finish off the series.

The Flyers need more from these players, especially if they are to see this playoff run go any further. They need their top scorers. They need their best performers. They need the guys who get the most ice time to really earn it. They need their leadership group to step up on the ice. 5 takeaways from Flyers-Islanders Game 3.

The Flyers found a way to finish the job in Game 2 and even the series, but now they face another tough task in Game 3. With questions about who will start in goal, what lineup changes are made and the overall approach to the game, the Flyers need to come out ready to play, because it was clear once again that the Islanders look for any sign of life and momentum and run with it.

The Flyers had the first period everyone wanted to see, then let the lead they took in the opening period get away, only to erase it all with an overtime goal that evened the series. 5 takeaways from Game 2 of Flyers-Islanders.

After letting a 3-0 lead slip away, Phil Myers fired a shot past Thomas Greiss to finish off a 4-3 Flyers win in overtime, evening the series with the Islanders at one game apiece.

The Flyers have to play from behind in a series for the first time, trying to find a way to even things up in Game 2 on Wednesday afternoon.

The Islanders showed they are a team that has a lot – the talent behind the bench, the depth up front, the defensive structure and the goaltender to get the job done. The Flyers did not show what they wanted to show. They did not show they have another level. They showed their flaws. 5 takeaways from Game 1.

The Flyers move on to face the seven-seed New York Islanders, a team that plays a similar style with much more depth and much more physicality. This series is sure to be a battle from start to finish. Game 1 is set for 7 p.m.

The Flyers didn’t feel they played close to their best in the first round, and they know they can’t get by on that in the next one.

The Flyers are one of eight teams remaining, and they get to go against an old foe behind the bench, one who has been in the division for years, but this time with a new team. Here are five storylines to watch in the upcoming series between the Flyers and Islanders.

Both the Flyers and Canadiens will be without key players in Friday’s Game 6, and it should be an energetic affair that fits the mold of playoff hockey at its finest. Game 6 is set for 7 p.m.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi took a major boarding penalty. Matt Niskanen has been suspended for Game 6 for a cross-check to the head of Brendan Gallagher. Nick Suzuki fueled the fire by patting Carter Hart on the head after a goal. A collision between Sean Couturier and Artturi Lehkonen started an end-of-game scrum. The bad blood in this series went from 0 to 60 in Game 5.

The Flyers had to overcome a lot of obstacles to eventually tie the game in the third, but gave the lead back 22 seconds later, as the Canadiens carried the lead the rest of the way for the 5-3 win in Game 5 to force Game 6 on Friday.

Carter Hart secured his second straight shutout win, as the Flyers took a 3-1 series lead with a 2-0 win over the Canadiens on Tuesday afternoon.