VOORHEES, N.J. — Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol reconfigured his top three forward lines Tuesday before the Flyers practice, loading the No. 1 unit with his team’s finest offensive talents.
Seemed like a logical move, since the Flyers had managed just one goal in a 5-1 loss Sunday in Game 3 after being shut out in the series opener four days earlier.
Hakstol, though, might have to rearrange his forward combinations again before Philadelphia faces the Penguins at 7:08 p.m. Wednesday in Game 4 of this first-round playoff series at Wells Fargo Center.
But not because he’s unhappy with anything he saw those overhauled lines do Tuesday.
Hakstol probably wishes that was the issue.
Instead, it was because he watched No. 1 center Sean Couturier — the Flyers’ leading scorer in the series, with a goal and two assists in three games — limp to the dressing room after colliding with defenseman Radko Gudas in a drill about midway through practice.
#BREAKING Our @6abc video of @NHLFlyers star Sean Couturier going DOWN at practice today after colliding with Radko Gudas. He limps off with the trainer. Claude Giroux told me "it didn't look good." So far no update from the #Flyers #NHLPlayoffs2018 #EarnTomorrow pic.twitter.com/SlfplFKjUd
— Jamie Apody (@JamieApody) April 17, 2018
Couturier, who had been working with Claude Giroux on his left side and Jakub Voracek on the right, did not return, and there was no immediate word from the Flyers on the nature or severity of his injury. His teammates, though, clearly were concerned that it could be significant.
“It didn’t look too good,” Giroux said. “You don’t like to see that. [Couturier] is playing 20 minutes a night for us right now. He’s a big piece [of] our team.”
Hakstol said he had not considered how he might replace Couturier if he’s unable to dress for Game 4. Moving Giroux to center would be one option; another would be bumping promising rookie Nolan Patrick up to the top line.
With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan down the middle, the Penguins already enjoyed a significant advantage in the matchups at center. Their edge would grow considerably if Couturier doesn’t play.
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In addition to reuniting Couturier and Giroux with Voracek — Voracek had been taken off the line in December in an effort to develop offensive depth — Hakstol deployed Patrick between Travis Konecny and Wayne Simmonds on the second line and had Valtteri Filppula centering Michael Raffl and Jordan Weal on the No. 3 unit.
The fourth line, with Jori Lehtera between Scott Laughton and Matt Read, remained intact.
“We just wanted to have a fresh look in a couple of different areas,” Hakstol said.
Simmonds suggested the personnel shakeup could “bring an extra spark” to the Flyers.
“Obviously, we didn’t play our best in the first three games,” he said. “The coach is saying something when he changes the lines. He expects more out of us. We have to bring it.”
That’s particularly true of the Giroux-Couturier-Voracek line, if it’s together for Game 4.
“We just have to make sure we play with the puck, have the puck on our stick,” Voracek said. “We don’t want to give it up too often, especially to the Crosby line.”
Crosby leads the Penguins in goals (4) and points(7) in this series and was dominant in Games 1 and 3. Finding a way to limit the damage he does will be a key challenge for whichever line Hakstol sends out against him.
“Don’t give him the puck,” Voracek said. “If he doesn’t have the puck, he can’t score. I think that’s the best defense.
“But it’s hard to do sometimes because he’s so dominant, he’s so good. He’s always in the right spot. He doesn’t have to have the puck very often to be dangerous.”
Dave Molinari: Dmolinari@Post-Gazette.com and Twitter @MolinariPG.
First Published: April 17, 2018, 5:54 p.m.