Larry Henry Jr
Sean Couturier is coming off his best season yet with the Philadelphia Flyers, but will now miss at least two weeks through injury.
The Flyers announced Saturday that Couturier would miss a minimum of two weeks with a costochondral separation. According to Heathline.com, Costochondral separation occurs when the rib tears away from the cartilage that connects to the breastbone.
Couturier appeared to be injured after taking a clean hit by Pittsburgh’s Jared McCann 1:36 seconds into the first period on Friday. The Flyers (2-0-0) play seven games over the next two weeks, but are coming off a pair of dominant wins over rivals Pittsburgh, outscoring the Penguins 11-5.
The veteran center won the Selke Award in 2020 as the league’s top defensive forward and is always a threat in the offensive zone. Couturier’s absence will likely see rookie Morgan Frost replace him in Alain Vigneault’s attacking unit, starting on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres.
“Injuries are part of the game,” Vigneault said on Friday. “Somebody else is going to step in like we did tonight. Somebody else is going to have to play well for us.”
The Flyers will face off with Buffalo on Monday and Tuesday at home before beginning a four-game road trip against Boston later next week.
You can follow Larry Henry on Twitter (@lhenry019) and e-mail him at [email protected].
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