The Philadelphia Flyers might have just saved their season with a sensational road trip punctuated by a 7-3 thrashing of the NHL’s best team, the Colorado Avalanche.
Going 2-0-1 in their three-game trip without starting goalie Dan Vladar, the Flyers found a way to stay afloat in the playoff race.
Advertisement
They’re still 3-5-2 in their last 10 games and remain three points back of the Boston Bruins for the second wildcard spot in the East, but the five points they just earned in the standings are the difference between being ninth in the Conference and 15th.
To be clear, with 57 points, the Flyers are still going to face stiff competition from the surging New Jersey Devils (56), Toronto Maple Leafs (57), Washington Capitals (56), and Florida Panthers (55) for a playoff spot, but a few bounces and different results this week would’ve had them down for the count.
Instead, the Flyers saw their playoff odds jump up a rather significant 7.2% with their regulation win over the Avalanche, which now sits them at a respectable 35.9% chance of reaching the postseason, according to Moneypuck.
The Flyers remain much more likely to miss the playoffs than make them, and perhaps some of that is a fair assessment by the model.
Advertisement
After all, we all saw the self-immolation against the Utah Mammoth that spoiled what would have otherwise been the perfect three-game road trip for a struggling club that appeared to be on its last legs.
It’s still too early to tell if the Flyers are willing to pull off some type of trade for a center like Shane Wright, Elias Pettersson, or Robert Thomas to really give themselves an opportunity, but that’s likely what it will take if the results stay middling, more or less, for the next four weeks.
