Bad news on the Sean Couturier front: Despite two days between Game 3 and Game 4, it doesn’t appear he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow night at Prudential Center. Reports from Voorhees this morning indicate that Couturier will not be in the lineup and that Zac Rinaldo will take his spot.
Can things change tomorrow? Yeah, of course. There’s still roughly 30 hours until the puck drops, and for a player listed as day-to-day, things can certainly improve in that period of time. But as of now, it’s not looking good for Couturier’s Game 4 return. We all know how valuable he is as a defensive forward, and his absence from the lineup will hurt.
In other news, could Andrej Meszaros return on defense in Game 4?
According to reports, Meszaros skated with both Andreas Lilja and Erik Gustafsson at practice this morning, but …
Talking to Meszaros, I would say there is ZERO chance he plays
— Tim Panaccio (@tpanotchCSN) May 5, 2012
Meszaros’ original time table on rehab from his back surgery put him at a return between May 2 and May 16, so regardless of whether or not he plays Sunday, he is very close to returning.
