Sean Couturier is in his third season with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Phoenix native has already become one of the most popular members of the team.
He is also one of the most valuable to those who watch the club on a game-by-game basis.
Couturier has set a career high with 35 points and there are still more than 10 games remaining on the schedule. Still, Couturier's biggest value isn't for his offensive game—at least not yet.
Instead, Couturier has used his size, speed and smarts to become a rather rare commodity in the modern NHL: a shutdown checking forward.
Flyers coach Craig Berube has matched Couturier and linemate Matt Read—usually with either Steve Downie or more recently Tye McGinn—against some of the game's most dangerous offensive players. The results have been impressive for the Flyers, a team not known for its overwhelmingly strong defensemen.
Recent examples abound. On March 15 and 16, the Flyers faced the Pittsburgh Penguins in a home-and-home series. Couturier helped keep Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin scoreless in both games.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Brad Kurtzberg