Missing Sean Couturier, no mystery what's ailing Flyers

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There's no need to make excuses for the Flyers' ongoing three-game losing streak. It's not their energy level. It's not fatigue or morale.

Simply put, the Flyers as they are currently constructed are not deep enough to withstand the loss of Sean Couturier, who's out four weeks with a lower-body injury.

Couturier has quietly developed into not only one of the most important Flyers, but one of the best two-way forwards in the entire NHL. He's become a key cog on the second line. He's one of the club's top penalty killers and contributes on the power play as well. He's one of their strongest players both on and off the puck. He shuts down some of the most lethal centers and scoring threats in the league.

It's no coincidence the Flyers' record has fallen to 2-8-2 this season when Couturier is out of the lineup. His presence is almost as vital if not more so than that of a Claude Giroux or Jake Voracek.

Couturier ranks third among Flyers forwards in total and even-strength time on ice, behind only Giroux and Voracek. The 23-year-old's plus-nine is good for tops in the clubhouse, and he's also sixth in points with 24 despite being out for 12 games already.

Now in his fifth NHL season, Couturier's ability on defense and the penalty kill has never been in question, but he's really stepped up his scoring to match. He needs seven goals and 16 points to set new career highs in both categories, numbers that should be attainable even after missing significant time. He has a point in 12 of his last 16 games -- 6 goals and 10 assists -- a span during which the Flyers are 10-4-2.

Couturier has been doing it all of late, which would make him difficult to replace on almost any team. The Flyers in particular are not yet built to withstand such a loss.

Face it, the Flyers are a two-line team with shaky defensemen. The club ranks 25th in the NHL in goals per game. Even with Couturier appearing in 40 games, the penalty kill is just 23rd.

No one player could replace Couturier's many contributions to begin with. Unfortunately, the Flyers don't have two or three or four who can fill in at different areas anywhere near his level.

And frankly, that's okay. Expectations weren't especially high for the Flyers entering this season, with a new head coach and still in the midst of a rebuilding effort. Making the playoffs would be a bonus.

Truth be told, this probably is a playoff team if only everybody could stay healthy. Prior to Couturier missing the last three games, the Flyers were one of the hottest teams in the NHL since Thanksgiving with a 16-8-3 record. They were just four points out of a wild card spot, and at that pace, would've made up the ground easily and then some.

Instead, the Flyers must go into survival mode and hope they can hang in the race until Couturier returns in early March. The timing of his injury couldn't have been much worse, either, as the schedule really ramped up this month, with 15 games to play in the four weeks Couturier is expected to miss.

So far, the Flyers are not off to a good start, but there's no reason to make excuses. Go figure, they simply aren't that good without one of their most important players.

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