Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier has had enough and criticized his team’s effort following a loss in Washington on Wednesday night.
This season has been difficult from the very start for the Philadelphia Flyers. After reaching the playoffs last season – the first time for the franchise since 2019-2020 – the Flyers have opened this campaign with a 3-8-4 record.
After losing by a 5-2 score at Washington, the frustration started to boil over. Team captain Sean Couturier, a 33-year-old veteran who has played 967 NHL regular-season games, had seen enough.
Sean Couturier Rips Flyers’ Performance
“At times, this year, we’re soft, I would say,” Couturier said to reporters after the game. “Not hard on battles, lose battles easily. It’s one thing to make mistakes and not win a battle, but if you’re in there and trying hard, that’s different.”
“We definitely need to pick up our physicality,” the captain continued. “It goes into competing.”
“The game is battling, winning one-on-one battles and creating chances off of that, so definitely an area of the game that we need to be better.”
Rick Tocchet Had a Similar Assessment
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet agreed with Couturier’s assessment. “Obviously, we need more battle. Throughout the year it’s been inconsistent.”
Regarding Wednesday’s loss to Washington, Tocchet added, “I thought we got shy in certain parts of the game.”
“He’s not wrong,” Tocchet continued. “There are parts of the game where we need a little more dig. I know we’re a smaller team but that doesn’t make an excuse for not getting a loose puck.”
Tocchet said, “We always talk about body position. Especially in pressure situations, you’ve got to take the body. You don’t have to kill a guy, and that’s what it really comes down to. If you want to go far, you have to. You have to be somewhat physical.”
Inside the Numbers
In the traditional sense, it’s not like the Flyers have embarrassing numbers that would be associated with physical play. They rank 12th in the league in hits per 60 minutes and their 5:46 of time shorthanded per game is the 8th highest in the league.
But that shows the difference between effective physical play, what Couturier and Tocchet are calling for, and perhaps more performative acts of physical play.
That quest for physicality helps to explain the arrival of rookie defenseman Hunter McDonald, a 6-foot-6 blueliner who has 21 hits in his first five NHL games. His 19.96 hits per 60 minutes of ice time is the highest rate for any defenseman that has appeared in at least five games this season.
Ultimately, Sean Couturier and Rick Tocchet aren’t talking about hitting for the sake of hitting. The Flyers need to win more puck battles because they are losing the possession game. During 5-on-5 play, the Flyers rank 30th in Corsi (42.4 CF%) and 29th in expected goals percentage (41.0 xGF%). Those are obviously results of a team that could stand to win more puck battles.
What Happens Next?
The season is in danger of slipping away from the Flyers. Their 3-8-4 record is the worst in the Eastern Conference and they are already five points out of a playoff spot. If they don’t correct their course quickly, that gap could get bigger and the playoffs could get out of reach.
The Flyers have some time off before they play at home against Utah on Sunday and then at home against Minnesota on Tuesday. Those are two quality opponents and it will be imperative for the Flyers to heed to words of their captain and head coach and show up with some bite in their game if they are going to get out of this funk.
Flyers Captain Calls Out Teammates For Being ‘Soft’