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Couturier plays left winger on fourth line in Flyers' home opener

The captain was the fourth-line left winger as Laughton climbed the lineup at center

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Sean Couturier had an interesting lineup spot Saturday night for the Flyers' home opener.

The 31-year-old captain was the fourth-line left winger. Ryan Poehling centered the line with Garnet Hathaway in his usual right winger spot.

Coming off a three-point game in the Flyers' 6-4 loss Thursday night to the Kraken, Scott Laughton was bumped up the lineup and to the center position.

Couturier, of course, has been a top-six center for a while now in Philadelphia. He won the 2019-20 Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward.

When did he find out he was playing left winger Saturday night and how different was it?

"I found out right before the game," Couturier said after the Flyers' 3-0 loss to the Canucks. "How different? I don't know. It's a little adjustment, but I've played it before. Playing with [Claude Giroux] for a couple of years, we would flip flop here and there."

Entering the home opener, Couturier had an assist and five shots through four games and 12:56 minutes per game. He played 15:58 minutes Saturday night and moved back to center around the midway mark of the game.

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It was his 800th career NHL game and first home opener as the Flyers' captain.

Here was the Flyers' lineup Saturday night:

Forwards

Owen Tippett-Morgan Frost-Matvei Michkov
Joel Farabee-Scott Laughton-Travis Konecny
Tyson Foerster-Jett Luchanko-Bobby Brink
Sean Couturier-Ryan Poehling-Garnet Hathaway

Defensemen

Cam York-Travis Sanheim
Egor Zamula-Rasmus Ristolainen
Erik Johnson-Jamie Drysdale

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