For the Philadelphia Flyers, last year’s wild-card race ended with disappointment. They were knocked out of the wild-card spot at the last minute, but it sparked hope, and as the playoff window opens for the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves in a now-or-never situation. Yes, they may be playing well, but simply “being good” can’t secure a team a playoff spot, especially in the tight Eastern Conference race. 

Only 7 points differentiate the first wild card and last place, and the Flyers find themselves 5 ranks away from a wild card spot. Although that sounds like an impossible feat, it is only 3 points away. This means that flyers need to clean up their game and start playing to win. 

While going into overtime guarantees one point, in such a tight race, the Flyers need to fight to get the extra point that comes with winning the game. Lately, this has not been the case as they have lost 7 of their last 10 games. 

To many Philadelphia fans, the issue is unclear. We acquired Matvei Michkov over the summer, had a great draft, and it seems that John Tortorella is still sharp. If you tune into a game, you may notice the sloppiness of their game and how it has cost the team. On Tuesday, Jan 7, Michkov dished a pass to winger Owen Tippett. The goalie was way out of the crease, leaving the “back door” wide open for an easy goal… right? 

Tippett, who is supposed to be one of the Flyer’s sharpest goal scorers, missed a wide-open net that would have forced the game into overtime. Flyers fans are tired of hearing the excuse that they’re “unlucky”. This team needs to clean up their game or the playoff window is going to close before it has the chance to open. 

This also sparks the questioning of leadership. The loss of Claude Giroux in 2022 sent shockwaves through the Flyer’s fanbase, but have we truly recovered? Sean Couturier was named captain this year, despite missing a great deal of time due to injury. Of course, we’ll never truly know his leadership style as we are not in the locker room, but it is our right to question it. 

This point drought is severely disappointing as fans expect more effort from the team that had gotten so close to the playoffs last season. It is also disappointing as hopes were high due to acquiring Michkov, hiring Tortorella, and promoting Daniel “Mr. Playoffs” Briere to general manager. Although it isn’t over yet, and “I didn’t hear no bell”, the playoff window is closing for the Flyers, and the season will end in disappointment once again if they do not clean up their game.