The Flyers had some good news Friday on Carter Hart.
But they also saw a key player get added to their injury report.
Hart, dealing with a mid-body injury, is considered day to day. Meanwhile, Sean Couturier has a lower-body injury and is also considered day to day.
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The Flyers open a back-to-back set tonight. They face the Sabres in Buffalo, New York (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP) before traveling home to play the Kings on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
There were a few signs that Hart's injury perhaps wouldn't be too long term. On Wednesday night, he tried to stay in the game. After he was checked by head athletic trainer Tommy Alva for a second time in the first period, Hart exited under his own power.
The Flyers, of course, will err on the side of caution with their 25-year-old goalie, especially this early in the season. Samuel Ersson and Cal Petersen will form the Flyers' goalie tandem in Hart's absence. The 29-year-old Petersen was called up Thursday from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Prior to the start of this season, Couturier was out for almost 22 months because of two back surgeries. Last month, a day before the Flyers' home opener, the 30-year-old center missed a practice because of an undisclosed issue, unrelated to his back. He also had a maintenance day Tuesday before playing in Wednesday night's game.
NHL
His current injury does not seem to be related to his back considering it's a lower-body issue. Tonight will be the first game Couturier has missed this season. Over the Flyers' first 10 games, Couturier put up eight points (two goals, six assists) and played 19:32 minutes per game.
"The thing that impresses me, his positioning, he’s just very intelligent away from the puck," head coach John Tortorella said Wednesday. "Sometimes when he wins puck battles, it’s not through strength. It’s just through smarts, a little bit of savvy. He has done it in this league for a long time as far as understanding that part of the game. He brings a bit of a calmness."
Ryan Poehling, the Flyers' lone extra forward the last two games, will draw into the lineup.
On defense, Marc Staal (upper body) and Rasmus Ristolainen (undisclosed) have remained on injured reserve.
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