HIGHLIGHTS
- The Flyers need just one win in their final two games to clinch third place in the Metro Division and end a five-year playoff drought
- Philadelphia destroyed Winnipeg 7-1 on Saturday, with Sean Couturier posting two goals and an assist in a dominant team performance
- Watch the Flyers celebrate the blowout win below and read on for the full breakdown
The Philadelphia Flyers control their own destiny. One win in their final two regular season games and they’re in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Philadelphia hosts Carolina on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET. Win that game, and the five-year playoff drought is over. It would also tie the longest postseason absence in franchise history.
The Flyers couldn’t have built more momentum heading into the week. They steamrolled the Jets 7-1 on Saturday in Winnipeg, chasing Connor Hellebuyck after he allowed five goals on 20 shots.
Watch the highlights from the blowout below:
Captain Sean Couturier led the charge with two goals and an assist. Noah Cates added a shorthanded goal and two assists. Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov, Travis Sanheim, and Nick Seeler also found the back of the net.
Dan Vladar stopped 27 of 28 shots in the victory.
Rick Tocchet’s decision to move Couturier into a hybrid fourth-line role has paid off down the stretch. The coaching staff first discussed the idea back in November and pulled the trigger after the Olympic break. Pairing Couturier with waiver pickup Luke Glendening gave the captain fewer but higher-quality minutes, and the results speak for themselves.
The Flyers have gone 16-6-1 since Feb. 26, allowing just 2.39 goals per game over that stretch. They’ve lost back-to-back games only once in that span.
If Philadelphia clinches, they’ll face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. The Flyers would host Games 3, 4, and 6 of that series.
Even if Monday doesn’t go their way, the Flyers close out the regular season Tuesday against Montreal. Any combination of three points across both games gets it done. Two overtime or shootout losses would also clinch the spot.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have their own motivation. Carolina needs just one point to lock up the top seed in the Eastern Conference and home ice through the first three rounds.
Something has to give at Wells Fargo Center on Monday night. For Philly, the math is simple. Win and you’re in.
