The Flyers’ Easter Sunday game just got that much bigger.
Rick Tocchet’s club has a chance to move into playoff position when it hosts the Bruins (3:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP). That’s because the Islanders and Blue Jackets lost in regulation Saturday night.
So with a win or loss after regulation Sunday, the Flyers would take over the final playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division.
They have 88 points, one behind the third-place Islanders. If the Flyers pick up a point Sunday with a loss in overtime or the shootout, they’ll have the tiebreaker over the Islanders because they’ll have played one fewer game.
A win, though, would be ideal for the Flyers. That would put them in sole possession of third place with five games to go. They’d have 90 points, one ahead of the Islanders, who have four games left.
The Islanders and Blue Jackets are off Sunday. The Flyers are tied with the Blue Jackets and have played one fewer game.
The Flyers had two other games go in their favor Saturday. The Senators and Red Wings also lost in regulation.
The Flyers are in a four-way tie with the Senators, Red Wings and Blue Jackets for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. The Flyers are behind the Senators and Red Wings because of the regulation wins tiebreaker.
A team to not forget is the Capitals. They’re playing well and have 87 points, just one behind the Flyers in both the division and wild-card races.
The Flyers have really turned it on down the stretch. They’ve gone 13-5-1 over their last 19 games. They’re trying to snap a five-year playoff drought.
A lot of eyes have been on the wild-card picture, but the Flyers’ main focus can be third place. They control their destiny now in the division.
