Sean Couturier looked like his old self in the Flyers' win, and he might still be better

Sean Couturier looked like his old self Monday night on the ice at Xfinity Mobile Arena. He felt like it, too – better even. "I feel better than pre-surgery, honestly," the longtime Flyers center said. "In the last couple years before the surgeries, tight back and, you know, trying to on a daily basis sometimes push through it. "Now I'm getting up in the morning and feeling great. Don't have any problems putting my socks on." And with his skates on, he was everywhere in the Flyers' home opening win over the Florida Panthers, their first win of both the season and the Rick Tocchet era, and perhaps an early statement that Couturier, as the captain, still has plenty more to give. Because the 32-year-old looked like that shutdown, two-way center of old in Monday night's 5-2 victory – maybe even better. It was obvious on the defensive side right away. Couturier got the beat on a Florida possession in the Flyers' own zone during the first period and had the read and the angle to poke the puck loose from Anton Lundell by the blue line to take off on a scoring chance the other way. Then later on, with the Panthers trying to break the puck out from their own corner, Couturier cut across the crease and to the wall, getting his stick in the way of an attempted pass that turned possession back to him, and quickly after, to Tyson Foerster, who Couturier slipped the puck out to for a step inside the hashmarks and a shot that beat Florida goalie Daniil Tarasov for a 1-0 lead. The offense was there, too, with a couple of looks early on, but then two crucial breaks late. Couturier's line with Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov in his wings was up as the minutes were winding down in the second period. He was slow to register that he had to hop over boards, but by the time he did, defenseman Travis Sanheim had knocked a puck loose that fell right to Konecny's stick. Konecny looked up and saw Couturier at the far blue line all alone. He zipped the pass over, Couturier was in on a breakaway, and all he had to do was pick his shot, which froze Tarasov as the center rang the puck off all the posts and in for his first goal. "I was late there," Couturier said. "But I guess the hockey gods were on my side there." The puck found him all alone again with the game tied late in the third. Couturier ate a hit from Florida center Sam Bennett after wrapping the puck around the offensive zone boards, and after Bennett came barreling out of the box upon the expiration of his penalty to crush whoever had the puck. It went to Trevor Zegras behind the Panthers' net. Bennett made a beeline to him as he loaded up his next check, but as he did, Couturier stood up back up at the rightside faceoff dot with no one there to cover him. Somehow, Zegras absorbed the check, stayed on his feet, and wired a pass straight to him. Couturier took the puck in then beamed another shot that beat Tarasov again, and for the lead once again. Then came the two empty-netters to ice it. Couturier finished with a four-point night – two goals, two assists, and a plus-4 rating in 16:41 of ice time – and throughout, he looked good, he looked healthy. He looked like that old Selke-caliber center before the back issues piled up and sidelined him for nearly two years, and before he couldn't find his place amid all his now-noted issues with former head coach John Tortorella. He was anticipating, he was positioned well, and he was taking the puck and moving it the other way. For a night, at least, he looked like the old Sean Couturier, the center who was everywhere and shutting everyone down– the one he always wanted to be, or maybe even one who can be better now if his back isn't a problem anymore, as he said. "Definitely it was tough times," Couturier said in the Flyers' locker room after Monday night of the past few years. "But it's behind me now. I'm just trying to focus on helping the team right now." "The guy's a good hockey player, right?" Tocchet said postgame. "Plays a 200-foot game, and he cares...He's a good human being. You root for guys like that, and he had a great game for us." SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports