Flyers-Lightning 5 things: Life without Sean Couturier

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Updated: 4:15 p.m.

Flyers at Lightning
7:30 p.m. on TCN and CSNPhilly.com, Pregame Live at 7

A lot went down in Flyers Land on Tuesday night, when the orange and black picked up a 3-1 road win over the Florida Panthers.

And they’re right back at it Wednesday night, as the Flyers (9-8-3) travel to Tampa Bay for a matchup with the Lightning (12-7-1) at Amalie Arena.

Let’s get you caught up with five things to know.

1. Replacing Coots
A tall order but something the Flyers will have to do after center Sean Couturier exited Tuesday night’s game in pain with a lower-body injury and did not return. Sources tell CSN's Tim Panaccio that Couturier has a small MCL tear in his left knee.

The 23-year-old was placed on injured reserve Wednesday and will miss four to six weeks as the Flyers recalled center Scott Laughton from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Couturier’s skates are not easy to fill considering the forward’s two-way game affects both ends of the ice. Last season, the Flyers went 6-9-4 in regular-season games without Couturier.

As for his role centering the team’s second line, Michael Raffl can make the jump and play either forward position or Brayden Schenn could center the second unit while Raffl plays wing up top. Nick Cousins is also a possibility for the second line while Roman Lyubimov or Laughton, who had eight points in eight games for the Phantoms, take a bottom-six spot.

2. Mason in charge
Many are waiting in anticipation for backup goalie Anthony Stolarz’s first NHL start, but Steve Mason will continue to delay the 22-year-old’s debut with performances like the one he had Tuesday night.

Mason made a season-high 38 saves and was 1:51 away from his first shutout of 2016-17. Similar to the end of last season when Michal Neuvirth went down, Mason appears to be finding game-to-game consistency. He’s 3-1-1 over his last five outings with a 1.90 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.

There’s no way the 28-year-old will be given a breather until he needs or warrants it.

3. We meet again
The Flyers will get another crack at Tampa Bay netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy.

The 22-year-old is a no-brainer to start tonight for the Lightning. He blanked the Flyers, 3-0, last Saturday by making 32 saves. He’s 3-0-0 in his last three games, has pitched back-to-back shutouts and allowed just one goal on 98 shots the last three games.

Tampa Bay had its four-game win streak snapped Monday with a 3-1 loss to the Predators to finish a successful five-game road trip. The Lightning are a top-10 team in goals per game (3.05 — tied for fifth), goals against per game (2.40 — tied for ninth), power-play percentage (25.3 — third) and penalty-kill percentage (84.6).

4. Keep an eye on ...
Flyers: Raffl, who has two goals in his last four games, must take on a greater role with Couturier sidelined. We’ll get our first glimpse of the Flyers without their do-it-all centerman, and Raffl should see increased minutes across the board. He’s also a plus-4, tied for the team lead.

Lightning: Winger Nikita Kucherov is on a scary run right now with 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) over his last 14 games in which he’s a plus-10. He’s tied for second in the NHL with 23 points overall.

5. This and that
• Mason is 3-4-2 with a 2.65 goals-against average and .878 save percentage in nine career games against Tampa Bay.

• Vasilevskiy is 2-1-0 with a 1.34 goals-against average and .958 save percentage in three matchups lifetime with the Flyers.

• The Flyers are 4-0-1 in the second game of back-to-back situations.

• The Lightning have lost consecutive games just twice this season.

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