We detailed on Sunday night just how big tonight’s home game between the Flyers and Detroit Red Wings is, so we won’t rehash it too much except to say … well, the playoffs are here. This game is essentially a playoff game.
The Devils are basically out of it after a terrible 7-1 loss in Anaheim last night, as SportsClubStats.com has their playoff chances way down at just 1.7 percent now. Carolina’s basically out of it too, with just a 5.5 percent chance. So the Flyers aren’t really looking in the rear-view mirror here at all.
So much rides on tonight, though. The Flyers would still control their own playoff destiny even with a loss, considering they have three more games against the Penguins on the schedule and one more against Detroit. But according to SportsClubStats, their chances at a playoff spot fall from 49.8 percent entering tonight games all the way down to just 33 percent with a loss in regulation. Detroit’s would rise from 57.2 percent to 73.4 percent in that scenario.
Should the Flyers win tonight in regulation, their playoff chances rise to 61.6 percent, while Detroit’s would fall to 44.3 percent. This is just a huge hockey game in the way that we don’t often see with 15 games still left in the season.
Here’s how the rest of the week shapes up for these three teams battling for two playoff spots:
Tonight
- Flyers vs. Wings, head to head. It’s the 68th game for the Flyers and the 70th for Detroit.
- Pittsburgh hosts the Islanders in Game No. 69 on their schedule. A regulation loss and a Flyers win would put the Flyers within striking distance. /
Wednesday
- Detroit and Pittsburgh are off.
- The Flyers are in Chicago to face the Blackhawks in Game No. 69 of their season — one of their all-important games in hand. Should the Flyers win both of these games and if the Penguins lose tonight, the Flyers could be ahead of both Detroit and Pittsburgh by the end of Wednesday evening. They’d still hold a game in hand over Detroit too./
Thursday
- Pittsburgh hosts Carolina in their 70th game of the season.
- Detroit is in Columbus for the 71st game of their season.
- The Flyers are off./
Friday
- All three teams are off. Enjoy your Friday./
Saturday
- Flyers vs. Penguins at the Wells Fargo Center. This will be a huge game, one way or the other. It will be the Flyers 70th game and the Penguins 71st game, and there’s a chance — probably a slim one, but a chance — the teams will be even in points entering the game.
- Detroit is in Florida for a game against the Panthers. It’s the 72nd game of their season./
Sunday
- The Penguins host the league-leading Capitals in the 72nd game of their season.
- The Flyers and Red Wings are off./
