Flyers’ Sean Couturier, Samuel Ersson to miss game Thursday against Senators

The Philadelphia Flyers will be without a pair of key players for Thursday’s contest against the Ottawa Senators as captain Sean Couturier and starting goaltender Samuel Ersson will not be in the lineup, the club announced. Both players are considered day-to-day with lower-body ailments.

Through 16 appearances this season, Couturier sits fourth in team scoring, registering three goals and five assists for eight points. Of note, the captain has been held pointless in his last three outings, while he has not found the back of the net since a three-goal, two-assist outburst versus the Minnesota Wild coming in late October.

A dominant two-way center, Couturier contributes at both ends of the ice, and ranks fourth among Philadelphia forwards this season in averaging 17:40 per night. The longtime Philadelphia skater, who has battled injury challenges in recent campaigns, is coming off a solid showing with the club as in 2023-24 he finished seventh in team scoring with 38 points counting 11 goals and 27 assists in 74 games. Originally chosen eighth overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, Couturier has amassed 506 points in 811 career games, all with Philadelphia.

Between the pipes, Ersson has made 11 appearances with the Flyers this season and, despite the club’s spot in the Eastern Conference standings, he owns a winning record of 5-2-2. Through it all, Ersson has registered a .902 save percentage alongside a 2.70 goals-against average.

Against the Senators on Thursday, the Flyers and head coach John Tortorella will turn to rookie netminder Ivan Fedotov, who will make his fifth appearance of the season. The 27-year-old recorded his first victory of the season last Thursday, coming in a 2-1 shootout decision versus the Tampa Bay Lightning in which he turned aside 22 shots. On the season, Fedotov owns a 1-3-0 record coupled with an .851 save percentage and 4.05 goals-against average.