PITTSBURGH - With general manager Ron Hextall looking on from the tunnel to the bench, Sean Couturier took faceoffs against assistant coach Ian Laperriere during Friday's morning skate.
Putting pressure on his injured right leg while gaining leverage in the faceoff circle was part of determining the pain tolerance and whether Couturier could play in Game 5 against the Penguins.
"I don't know. Trying to get a test but Lappy wasn't so good on faceoffs," Couturier said rather jokingly. "It was kinda tough to test it out. I was just trying to simulate game situations."
Of course, morning skates are nothing resembling the speed and intensity of a playoff game, but Friday marked the third straight day Couturier has skated.
"I felt pretty good. I felt better than yesterday," Couturier said. "Still hoping. I guess I'll take warm-ups and see how that goes. More movement, more skating than the last two times. It was a good day. It's one thing to play but you've got to be able to help the team as well."
Two years ago, playing without Couturier, the Flyers fought off elimination twice in their six-game series against the Capitals after falling behind 3-0 in their best-of-seven series. Head coach Dave Hakstol believes that experience is something the veterans can impart on the younger, more experienced Flyers.
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"This is a very different team - a lot of different personnel," Hakstol said. "There were some guys that were part of that series, and some other guys who have different playoff experiences. So, I think you draw off your veterans' experience."
Historically, the Flyers have succumbed to the opponent when trailing 3-1 in a seven-game series with a 1-16 record when facing elimination entering Game 5. The only exception came during the Flyers remarkable 3-0 comeback against the Boston Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
At this point, Hakstol doesn't feel the need to motivate by stressing the importance of a must-win game.
"We didn't do a whole lot of talking yesterday," Hakstol said. "We went out and had a good practice and took 24 hours as we traveled here to Pittsburgh. We talked a little bit in the morning just to get our focus in place. For the most part, we know where we're at, so there's no need to go into a bunch of clichés."
Interestingly, Hakstol would not confirm his starting goaltender, but Brian Elliott is expected to make his seventh straight start despite a 4.75 goals against with a .856 save percentage in the first five games. Elliott, who was not on the ice for the morning skate, was stretching and going through his typical game-day rituals.
"We need a big performance from our goalie, yes, that's fair to say," said Hextall. "We're going into their building and they're going to be hungry, so we need a big performance from our goalie."
