Flyers Have Golden Road to Playoffs After Latest Devils Failure

The Philadelphia Flyers are currently in pole position to earn a playoff berth, and quite frankly, it would take disaster to strike to change that.

Saturday’s 6-3 Stadium Series loss to the New Jersey Devils dampened things a little bit, but that was only temporary.

New Jersey failed to build on their win over the Flyers, losing 6-2 to the Washington Capitals in an embarrassing effort on Tuesday night – something that has been a theme for the Devils this season. The Flyers, on the other hand, received major help from the Capitals and now find themselves with a golden road to the playoffs to traverse.

Here’s the thing: the Devils have the eighth-hardest schedule remaining in the entire league, per Tankathon. Their latest setback proves that the Flyers are and have always been in control of their own fate.

Philadelphia’s remaining opponents combine for a .551 strength-of-schedule, which is the 17th-hardest remaining schedule. Only the Detroit Red Wings (22nd) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (23rd) have easier schedules in the Eastern Conference, and both are jousting for position in the Atlantic Division.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders have been so inconsistent – and frankly, bad – that they just cannot be considered threats in the Metropolitan Division anymore.

If the Flyers stick to the plan that they’ve followed all year, they should walk into the playoffs just fine. The only thing that can derail them, well, is themselves.

The 2024 NHL trade deadline is just over two weeks away, which means a Flyers trade or two is highly likely, at least given the current climate of the trade rumors.

Plus, if the Flyers do lose some defensemen or forwards (out of necessity), they have players they can call on. Emil Andrae got a taste of NHL action earlier this year, and Ronnie Attard is a player who’s accumulated some experience over the years.

Fellow defenseman Adam Ginning made a serious push for a roster spot, and Finnish forward Samu Tuomaala has had an excellent season in the AHL. There’s also Bobby Brink, who’s spent the last month in the minors.

Of course, the Flyers will need to re-stock and add to this pool eventually, but they aren’t without options here.

Not only are the Flyers ready for the postseason, but they’re equipped to weather the storm, too.

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