Flyers takeaways: Sean Couturier turns back the clock; Trevor Zegras dazzles in win over Panthers

The Flyers sent the Xfinity Mobile Arena crowd home happy, beating the defending champion Florida Panthers, 5-2, to earn their first win of the season.

There was a lot to like about Monday’s home opener, Rick Tocchet’s first as head coach of the Flyers. Here are the three stars of the game:

During last year’s home opener, Couturier was banished to the fourth line, still struggling with back issues following two major surgeries.

» READ MORE: Sean Couturier leads the Flyers to their first win under Rick Tocchet in home opener

Monday’s game couldn’t have been more different for the Flyers captain, who scored two goals, including the game-winner, and added two assists.

“I feel better than presurgery, honestly,” Couturier said. “Even the last couple years before the surgery, it was tight back, and trying on a daily basis sometimes to push through it. Now I’m getting up in the morning and feeling great. I don’t have any problems putting my socks on. It’s been going great.”

Couturier fed Tyson Foerster, who worked through a few Panthers to score the game’s opening goal, and then finished a breakaway chance in the second to bring the lead to 2-0. Couturier scored the game-winner with 4 minutes, 10 seconds remaining and capped the night with an assist on Christian Dvorak’s empty-netter.

In the locker room postgame, the group’s excitement about Couturier’s success was evident.

“He plays a 200-foot game, and he cares,” Tocchet said. “He’s a good human being. You root for guys like that, and he had a great game for us.”

Couturier’s teammates agreed.

“Hopefully he’s going to be in the rafters one day,” goalie Dan Vladař said. “Unbelievable captain and a true leader.”

Added forward Trevor Zegras: “He does so many little things right. Our first game of the season, I think he had, like, 34 shifts or something like that. As a younger guy, still learning, he’s an awesome guy to look to. He’s helped me a ton on faceoffs and how to play the game the right way.”

» READ MORE: Flyers pay tribute Bernie Parent ahead of home opener against Panthers

Couturier was careful to couch that it’s just one game — he and the Flyers need to stay consistent in the coming weeks to take the leap this group wants to take. But he’s feeling better than he has in a long time, and it’s showing on the ice.

“I feel good,” Couturier said. “Starting to find my confidence.”

Zegras’ pass to Couturier for the decisive goal was the highlight of the night, and the Flyers’ season so far.

With two Panthers players stapled to him behind the net, burying him into the boards, Zegras found a wide-open Couturier just inside the right faceoff circle for a one-timer, which gave the Flyers the 3-2 lead and, ultimately, the win.

Even Zegras couldn’t help but be in awe looking back at his own work, and he previously has made a few impressive passes from behind the net.

So, did he actually see Couturier and make that read, or was he just throwing it out there and hoping for the best?

“I feel like I settled it for a second and tried to read the play, and two guys came pretty hard,” Zegras said. “Just tried to get it off my stick as quick as possible.”

» READ MORE: Local sports artist Dhwani Saraiya designed a T-shirt for the Flyers’ home opener: ‘One of the coolest feelings’

Zegras’ ability to make that quick decision under pressure is part of why the Flyers were excited about acquiring him in the first place.

“You look up for a split second to see where your guys are,” Zegras said. “Obviously, if two people are coming at you, at your head, somebody’s probably open. So a little bit of area, a little bit of feel for where the guys are, for sure.”

Zegras adds the kind of offensive skill the Flyers have desperately lacked. But the play also showed off Zegras’ toughness, drawing the double team to get guys open in front of the net — and that didn’t go unnoticed by Tocchet.

“He got hit, too, that’s what I like,” Tocchet said. “You know you’re going to get hit, and you’re willing to take it to make a play. It’s a high-level play.”

Poor goaltending kept the Flyers in the basement of the Metropolitan Division last season, but Vladař put in a solid, steady performance Monday, saving 24 of 26 shots.

According to Natural Stat Trick, Vladař faced 12 high-danger chances and five Panthers power plays.

Through three games, the Flyers have committed 15 penalties, five in each game, which is making the goalies’ lives more challenging. But Vladař was up to the challenge Monday, allowing just one power-play goal.

“We can’t give up 15 penalties in three games,” Tocchet said. “I’ve got to credit the penalty kill, the goaltending, [Vladař], [Sam] Ersson the other night. We’re getting good goaltending.”

» READ MORE: Defenseman Emil Andrae gets a chance to show the Flyers he belongs

Vladař earned the season’s first player-of-the-night award from his teammates, in the form of a Bernie Parent goalie mask.

Through three games, the Flyers’ goaltenders have outperformed the expected goal numbers in each start, according to Natural Stat Trick. It’s a small sample size, but a step in the right direction.

Matvei Michkov was benched after the eight-minute mark of the third period. Nikita Grebenkin replaced him on the Couturier-Travis Konecny line. … Emil Andrae drew into the lineup for the first time this season, and Tocchet said he felt the defenseman did a “really good job” in a “tough situation.” Andrae and his partner, Noah Juulsen, logged just over 10 minutes of ice time. … The Flyers honored Parent, who died in September at age 80, ahead of Monday’s opener with a standing ovation.

The Flyers continue their homestand against the Winnipeg Jets at 7 p.m. Thursday. The game will be televised locally on NBC Sports Philadelphia and out of market on ESPN+.