It was going to take a lot to separate Sean Couturier from a Game 7 against the Washington Capitals.

The Philadelphia Flyers center admitted Monday to suffering a Grade 2-3 shoulder separation after being leveled into the boards by Alex Ovechkin in Game 1 of the first-round series, but said he was going to try to suit up for the series-deciding game if it had gone that far.

The risk of re-injury would have been high, and in the long run, perhaps it's better to have not tested the shoulder in such a high-pressure situation.

The Flyers lost in six, meaning the possibility is off the table, and Couturier can start focusing on next season while probably also thinking what could have been had he not been injured so early in the series.

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