Flyers' Read and Couturier getting downright defensive

PRAISE FROM around the hockey world has been heaped on Sean Couturier over the past week.

Rightfully so, after the Flyers held Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews to a combined one assist in three consecutive outings.

Couturier had Crosby, the NHL's runaway points leader, so frustrated at one point in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon that "Sid the Kid" was willing to throw down the gloves for his first fight in four regular seasons.

Far less attention has been paid to Couturier's linemate, Matt Read - who added three goals in the weekend set against the Penguins. If it were up to Couturier, that wouldn't be the case.

"I've been saying it all season, it's a line thing," Couturier said. "We seem to have good chemistry together. We have such good chemistry that we seem to find each other out there. We're both pretty smart defensively - and I think that's what makes us successful."

Read, 27, has been every bit as good as Couturier defensively this season. Every shift that Couturier was on the ice against the Penguins' and Blackhawks' stars, Read was right there with him as the perfect complementary piece.

On Tuesday night, he took only two shifts - both late in overtime - without Toews, a fine defensive player in his own right, not on the ice, according to ShiftChart.com.

"At the end of the night, you just want to make sure that you don't get scored on," Read said. "You're helping your team eliminate their top line, and you're hoping that our top line can score against their third line."

Said Couturier: "At the end of the night, if we're 'plus' players, then we've done our job."

Both players, and third linemate Steve Downie, will have their work cut out for them this week. The Blues are expected to reunite top line T.J. Oshie, David Backes and Alexander Steen against them today. Then, they'll have their hands full with the Kings' Marian Gaborik, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams on Monday.

The work isn't getting any easier, but Read doesn't seem to mind. Some nights, he said, it can feel like he's chasing the puck all over and not making a lot happen. Then, there are other games when he is spending a lot of time in the offensive zone, where it's easier to defend from there.

Read is unlikely to hit the 47-point plateau he set as a rookie in 2011-12, even though he is averaging nearly 3 more minutes per game than he did then. His minutes - and production at both ends of the ice - are far more valuable and complete than they were then.

The fact that both Read and Couturier are locked up for a combined $5.4 million through 2015-16 is looking very promising for the Flyers.

"We're not trying not to score," Read said. "Teams that go far in the playoffs seem to have all four lines scoring. We take our chances when we have the opportunity."

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