Philadelphia Flyers two-way pivot Sean Couturier exited Game 1 of their first-round series versus the Washington Capitals after suffering an upper-body injury as a result of a hard hit from Alex Ovechkin.

On the chase in the neutral zone, Ovechkin caught Couturier in a dangerous position - just a few feet away from the boards - and drove him shoulder-first into the wall.

Couturier left at roughly the halfway point in the second period, favoring his left shoulder or arm. The Flyers later announced that he would not return to the game, and that he would be re-evaluated Friday.

An extended absence would be a massive loss for the Flyers, who were to lean on Couturier's defensive acumen in an effort to shut down one of the Caps' top two lines.

Philadelphia won just six of the 19 games he missed due to injury this season.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.