Stanley Cup notes: Flyers' Couturier questionable for Game 5

Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier didn't rule out a return for Friday's Game 5 against the hometown Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 25-year-old centre had to be helped off the ice at Tuesday's practice and was spotted limping to the dressing room following a collision with teammate Radko Gudas.

Couturier is listed as day to day but general manager Ron Hextall told reporters that the Phoenix native would make the short trek to Pittsburgh, which leads the first-round series three games to one.

Couturier posted a career-high 76 points in the regular season but has just two goals in 21 NHL playoff starts.

Norris nominees named

Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings, Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and P.K. Subban of the Nashville Predators are the finalists for the Norris Trophy, the NHL announced Thursday.

The award, voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, is presented each year to the defenceman showing the greatest all-round ability in the position.

The winner will be announced at the NHL Awards show on June 20 in Las Vegas. Subban, a finalist for the third time, captured the honour in 2013.

Doughty, now a four-time finalist, won in 2016. Doughty, 28, finished sixth in regular-season scoring among defencemen with 60 points, which included 10 goals. He led all NHL players in ice time.

Subban, 28, finished with a career-high 16 goals and racked up 59 points. He was the only Nashville player to appear in all 82 games this season.

Hedman, 27, tied for the lead among defencemen in goals scored with 17 and finished fourth in points with 63. He set a career high in ice time.

Devils defenceman Vatanen ailing

New Jersey will try to stave off elimination Saturday afternoon in Tampa Bay, but might be without its top defenceman.

Sami Vatanen is nursing an upper-body injury after absorbing a hit to the shoulder/head area from Nikita Kucherov late in the first period of the Lightning's 3-1 victory on Wednesday.

Devils head coach John Hynes didn't provide many details on Vatanen before the team's flight to Florida.​

On Thursday, the NHL reviewed the hit and no supplemental action was taken against Kucherov.

Avalanche turn to Hammond in goal

Colorado head coach Jared Bednar hopes "The Hamburglar" can help his team avoid playoff elimination on Friday night.

Andrew Hammond will tend goal for the Avalanche after starter Jonathan Bernier suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday night's 3-2 loss to the visiting Nashville Predators.

Hammond relieved Bernier to start the third period and turned aside all eight shots he faced in his first post-season appearance since April 17, 2015, while a member of the Ottawa Senators.

Colorado acquired the 30-year-old Hammond in November as part of the Matt Duchene trade.

Caps' Stephenson back in scoring role

Saskatoon's Chandler Stephenson, who played throughout the Washington Capitals lineup during the regular season, was skating on the left side of the second forward unit during Thursday's morning skate.

The 23-year-old scored six goals and 18 points in his first full NHL season but has been held off the scoresheet in the Capitals' first-round series against the Blue Jackets, which resumes Thursday at Columbus.

Stephenson didn't crack Washington's opening night roster and later cleared waivers but impressed head coach Barry Trotz early in the season with his urgent play. The 2012 third-round draft pick spent much of the previous four seasons with Hershey in the American Hockey League.

In other Capitals news, forward T.J. Oshie didn't skate Thursday morning. He has been taking maintenance days during the series and then suiting up for games. Travis Boyd participated in line rushes on the right side at practice alongside Nicklas Backstrom and Stephenson.

Jakub Vrana, who played Game 3 in place of injured forward Andre Burakovsky, is expected to skate on the fourth line Thursday night. Burakovsky is nursing an upper-body injury and didn't travel to Columbus.