Flyers' Sean Couturier gets big boost from strong outing in Worlds

SEAN COUTURIER arrived back in Quebec on Monday night with a World Championships gold medal, a new coach for the Flyers and a brimming level of confidence.

He just didn't have any clue that his solid three-week run for Team Canada in Prague with teammates Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn turned so many heads around the hockey world.

"There weren't many North American media covering the tournament, so I didn't have that much of a sense," Couturier said. "The only thing I felt as the tournament went on was that I gained more and more trust from the coaching staff."

Turns out, Couturier can indeed score - if given the opportunity and the right linemates. Recently departed Flyers coach Craig Berube didn't seem convinced that was possible, while saddling Couturier with a sagging R.J. Umberger, hobbling Matt Read and an underwhelming 26 percent of shifts starting in the offensive zone.

Couturier, 22, finished the 10-game tournament with seven points.

He played mostly a fourth-line center role under Todd McLellan, on a stacked roster that was rebuffed by Hart Trophy finalist John Tavares and forced other players away from their natural center position. Couturier most frequently centered Cody Eakins, Tyler Toffoli and sometimes Tyler Ennis.

"Being a part of that experience, I would've done whatever was asked of me," Couturier said on Wednesday from his home in Drummondville, Quebec. "I was lucky enough to play my natural position. The players are so good there, it's easy to adjust to anything. It was such a different atmosphere than when you're with a group of guys for six or seven months. Everyone left their egos on the side and chipped in the same."

The all-business atmosphere and heavy schedule left little time for play in one of Europe's great cities. Couturier and the other Flyers talked about getting dinner with Jake Voracek in his hometown, but never could make it happen, with so much to accomplish in 17 days.

The business part of the tournament suited Couturier just fine.

Yes, the Canadian powerhouse scored a tournament-record 66 goals. Yes, the Canadians went undefeated and romped Alex Ovechkin and Russia by a five-goal margin, tearing through most of the competition in similar fashion.

But Couturier still was not on the ice for a single even-strength goal against for Canada. He finished the tournament with a plus-13 rating.

Couturier was also named the tournament's official player of the game in a 7-2 thrashing of Mark Streit's Switzerland team on May 10. He netted one goal and two assists that night.

Three days later, against Michael Raffl and Austria, Couturier centered Canada's top line with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle when Sidney Crosby sat out.

While it is hard to directly examine Couturier's usage and deployment, considering the lack of available statistics, Couturier said he thought his overall play in the tournament was more balanced. He wasn't used solely as a shutdown player.

"It's tough to say, when you're on the fourth line," Couturier said. "I still had some defensive responsibilities. Our job was to create momentum, and we were lucky, because we clicked right away and capitalized on a lot of chances.

"But it depended on the situation. If we were up a goal against France in the third period, I was trying to shut them down. If we were up, 2-0, vs. Czechs in the semifinal, same thing."

The 10-game sample size was small. Canada also frequently led by large margins, which also lessened some of Couturier's responsibilities.

But overall, the tournament was a reminder for new coach Dave Hakstol that Couturier can score if given the chance to play both ends of the ice. He finished last season with more points per offensive-zone start than all-world two-way player Patrice Bergeron.

It was also a big self-confidence booster for Couturier, who undoubtedly proved himself worthy of skating among his country's elite players. Only last June's No. 1 overall pick Aaron Ekblad, who is 19, was younger than Couturier on Canada's dominating roster.

"This wasn't the best possible outcome to my season, because we didn't make the playoffs," Couturier said. "But the chance to get over there and experience that, just being around those guys that have won before, it was great. It was the best experience I've had in hockey. I've come out of this a better player and with a bit more confidence, too."

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