Lower-body injury leaves Couture game-time decision

SAN JOSE -- San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture, who leads the team with 27 goals, will be a game-time decision Tuesday night against Philadelphia because of a lower-body injury he suffered Sunday at Minnesota.

Couture took three huge hits against the Wild and left the ice for good midway through the second period. He skated briefly Tuesday morning, without pads, but was not on the ice for the rest of the morning skate.

"It felt good to get on the ice," Couture said. "I didn't feel that bad. There's a chance I could play tonight."

On Sunday against Minnesota, Couture's head banged against the glass at least twice, but it's a lower-body injury that's the main problem.

"I think all three (hits) really built up, and the last one, my body was hurting," Couture said. "I really didn't want to come back in the game. I got a couple days of rest. Yesterday, rested and treated it. Today as well. It definitely feels a lot better than it did the other day at the game."

Couture said he didn't think Minnesota was targeting him specifically or trying to take him out of the game, and he said "there was nothing wrong" with any of the hits he took.

"Guys were finishing checks," Couture said. "That's hockey. You expect to get hit every night. I definitely didn't feel they were only hitting me out there. They were hitting other guys, too.’"

The Sharks, coming off a 2-6-1 road trip, could definitely use Couture tonight against Philadelphia when they open a four-game homestand.

With or without Couture, the Sharks hope to get a boost from forwards Daniel Winnik and TJ Galiardi, who will make their debuts after being traded from Colorado to San Jose on Monday.

"That's what we're hoping," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said after the morning skate. "We definitely think we've got the pieces in here to make a good run. We just feel like the two new guys are definitely going to help that out."

Winnik said he hopes that he and Galiardi can energize the Sharks.

"When you get traded you bring new excitement with yourself, and hopefully TJ and I inject some energy into the lineup," Winnik said.

During the morning skate, Winnik was on the second line with Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski. Galiardi skated on the third line with Michael Handzus and Torrey Mitchell. Ryane Clowe and Tommy Wingels skated on the top line with Thornton.

That's likely how they'll open tonight's game unless Couture is able to play.

The road-weary Sharks will face a Flyers team that is playing the final game of a four-game road trip but hasn't played since Saturday when it beat Calgary 5-4 in a shootout.

"A couple days in California isn't bad for the body or the mind," Flyers winger Scott Hartnell said. "We had a good practice yesterday, a good skate this morning. Even though we're all the way across the country, we've got to play hard and not focus on getting back home."

Hartnell, who played six seasons in Nashville, has been to the Shark Tank enough times to know how tough San Jose is to beat at home.

"This is a tough building to play in," Harnell said. "The fans are incredible and they feed off that energy. So it's going to be a big battle for us. It's going to be a big test for us tonight to come out, come hard. Hopefully we get a lead. It seems like we haven't had a lead in the first period for three months."

The Flyers haven't beaten the Sharks in San Jose since Nov. 5, 1999. Their last victory over San Jose was on Dec. 21, 2000, in Philadelphia.

Hartnell is coming off a two-goal game against Calgary and has a career-high 30 goals for the season. He credited “a lot of hard work” for his career year, as well as the chance to skate with teammates such as Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr.

“It’s a lot who you’re playing with and power play time and things like that,” Hartnell said. “I’ve been really focused, trying to be focused for every practice, every game. Just trying to do what I do best, and that’s go to the net. Playing with Giroux and Jagr, you put your stick on the ice, pucks are going to find your stick. It’s been a real treat playing with those guys.”