Sean Couturier on the Flyers’ playoff push: ‘This is where the fun begins’

It’s been a while since Sean Couturier has played meaningful hockey at this point in the year.

The Flyers (28-19-6) sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division, six points ahead of the fourth-place New York Islanders. With 29 games left in the season, the Flyers have already surpassed their win total of 25 in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

Even before the back injury that sidelined Couturier for all of last season, it had been a long time since he and the Flyers had been in a playoff position after the All-Star break. Couturier last played in the postseason in 2020.

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“Especially at this time of the year, this is where the fun begins,” Couturier said. “And from the get-go, from the start of the year, we’ve had a fun group and a tight group that loves to come to work and have fun with it. So it’s been kind of that same atmosphere really all year, it’s just starting to be a little more meaningful.”

Couturier, 31, scored the game-winner on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken, his 11th goal of the season but his first since Jan. 6 against Calgary. While he has been contributing in other ways during his scoreless stretch, finding the back of the net was extra meaningful to Couturier since he held himself responsible for the Kraken’s two goals.

“I tried to contribute in different areas, but that’s one area I kind of almost want to score every game, or every other game. ... It was maybe a little tougher stretches these last couple of games,” Couturier said.

The Flyers have won three straight coming out of the break, although not all were pretty. Flyers coach John Tortorella criticized his team’s poor start during a 2-1 win over the Panthers and its weak finish in a 4-1 win over the Jets. But he thought the Flyers played a complete game against Seattle.

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“It’s the only question that I’ll have the rest of the year is: Can we do it again?” Tortorella said. “Are we going to be perfect? No. But we are going to remember, we know how we have to play. I think that teaching is done, as far as the identity of our team and how we have to play. Can we continue to do it? Can we have our readiness, mentally, to do it again?”

Monday’s game will be a good test of whether the Flyers can keep their foot on the gas. The Coyotes come to Philadelphia on a skid, having lost each of their last five games.

Couturier thinks it will be business as usual.

“We know we’re not the most talented team on paper,” he said. “We prepare the right way, we play together, for one another, and we can’t allow ourselves to really take any anything easier.”

Tyson Foerster limped off after blocking a shot in the third period Saturday and reportedly left the arena wearing a walking boot. He was the only Flyer who did not participate in Monday’s morning skate. Tortorella said he was “not sure” whether the winger would be available against Arizona.

Olle Lycksell, who has been ill and has not been in the lineup since Jan. 27 against the Bruins, did participate, skating on a line with Garnet Hathaway and Scott Laughton.

Sam Ersson (2.47 goals against average, .903 save percentage) will get the start in net against Arizona. Ersson has won his last two starts, rebounding from a four-game losing streak before the break.