Couturier missed two games with an upper body injury. He was a full participant in the morning skate.
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Ivan Fedotov is no longer a blank slate — in more ways than one.
After a long wait — the goaltender was drafted in 2015 — Fedotov was officially introduced to Philly just 11 days ago. He made his NHL debut in relief against the Islanders and backstopped his new buddies to what could be a crucial point in the standings. On Friday he made his first NHL start in a 4-2 loss to the Sabres.
Although his numbers aren’t great (3.84 goals-against average and .850 save percentage), the Russian netminder says he is feeling more and more comfortable every day.
And part of that is thanks to his goalie mask no longer being all white. His mask, created by famed designer David Gunnarsson, aka DaveArt on social media, sports Flyers orange and black with two phoenixes rising around a Flyers logo.
“I think about the phoenix, it means a little bit about rebirth,” said Fedotov, who also noted that a phoenix is a bit of a mystery. “Tough two years for me and now a new chapter, new time for me. I think it’s a good idea to start from a new page.”
The phoenix is designed in a similar style to the eagle found on the coat of arms of Russia. The backplate, along with a slew of holographic Flyers logos, has the coat of arms of St. Petersburg, his hometown, for luck.
“Dave did great work,” Fedotov said. “I like the colors. It’s fire, the Flyers logo, and for my first mask, it’s a great job. We’ll find new ideas for future masks, but right now I like it and it’s great. I feel comfortable in this mask.”