What the Torts? Flyers making their captain healthy scratch against Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t be facing a full-strength opponent in the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

While a few Flyers are battling injuries, the most confusing absence when they play the Leafs will be 31-year-old centre Sean Couturier.

The 2019-20 Selke Trophy winner as the best defensive forward in the NHL, Couturier’s scratch comes at a time when he has no goals and three assists in his last 10 games. But while the offence hasn’t been there for Couturier of late, the scratch is mostly confusing by the fact that he was named team captain just 34 days ago, on February 15.

“I think there are a number of players, him being one, that need to be better,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said Monday, as per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall.

The Flyers are in third place in the Metropolitan Division, but with 76 points, sit just one point ahead of the Washington Capitals, who occupy the Eastern Conference’s Wild Card spot. With the Detroit Red Wings sitting at 74 points, it’s looking like it’ll go down to the wire to decide the final few postseason berths in the conference.

“I think I’m looking for myself a little bit,” Couturier said last week, per Hall. “I’m not playing as much as I used to, so it’s different. But I’m just trying to stay positive and do what I can to help the team down the stretch here.”

The Leafs, meanwhile, remain without star forward Mitch Marner, battling a high ankle sprain.

“In all likelihood, it is a minor injury, but we want to be respectful of it. We have some time now,” Leafs general manager Brad Treliving told TSN’s Gino Reda on Monday. “Mitch has been off the ice in the last couple of days, but we will ramp him up this week and take it day by day to see how he is feeling. Hopefully, he will be back sooner than later.”

Puck drop is set for 7 pm ET between the two teams at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.

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