The Philadelphia Flyers have their most meaningful game of the year coming up against the Washington Capitals, where nothing short of a regulation win will help send them to the playoffs.
The Philadelphia Flyers have their most meaningful game of the year coming up against the Washington Capitals, where nothing short of a regulation win will help send them to the playoffs.
The Flyers' playoff destiny isn't completely in their hands, as they'll need both the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins to lose in regulation in order to slide into the second wild card spot. It will be a nervy one for sure, but as long as their playoff hopes are more than zero, it's clear that this team is going to fight for that spot until the very last second.
Staying Proud
Head coach John Tortorella emphasized that, regardless of the result against the Capitals, he's proud of the team and believes that they should be proud of themselves for the season they've had.
"Nothing needs to be said," he told the media on Tuesday. "I'm proud of the team. That was my message to them prior to the Rangers game—let's just be proud of ourselves and get this to Tuesday and see what we can do. I'm proud of the team and how they've handled themselves, even through some of the bumps we've had at the end of the year. They've stayed together and tried to figure it out and they get to play a game 82 that means something."
Right now, though, he doesn't want them looking back on their season just yet, because it's simply not over.
"The point I was trying to make the past couple of weeks—I think they should feel good about themselves and what they've accomplished this year, but this is front of us," he said. "A couple weeks ago, playoffs was right in front of us and still is. I wanted them to take the next steps since we're here. Look at it! Look where we're at! I wanted them to realize that, and I think they did."
Everything To Play For
The NHL scriptwriters couldn't have dreamed up a more high-stakes scenario for the Flyers, where both themselves and the Capitals need a win in order to make the playoffs. The Capitals have a "win-and-you're-in" opportunity, while the Flyers will need to do one last bit of scoreboard watching, but both teams' seasons are on the line currently.
The Flyers have notoriously struggled against teams that have nothing to lose, but Tortorella has no doubt that, despite a recent losing streak, his team's desire to make the postseason has never wavered.
"A lot of stuff happened in us losing those games, but not their intention, not their willingness to accept the moment," he said. "They should feel good about that.
"No matter what anybody says, if we don't succeed in getting in, I'll make sure they understand that. They already know my feelings about that as far as what this team's about. I'm proud of them. No matter what happens tonight, I'm excited about how they handled themselves, I'm excited about some of the growth, I'm excited about hopefully getting an opportunity [in the playoffs], but if not, where we go in the future."
The Flyers Aren't Quitting—And Never Did
While the Flyers do their best to not pay attention to the outside noise, Tortorella said that he is aware of the narrative that his team had "quit" on him, and had a pretty mic-drop response to those who accused the Flyers of throwing in the towel.
"Some of the scrutiny was brought onto the team, not in a good a light," he said. "I heard—and it's beyond me—I heard the word 'quit'? Not a chance. There wasn't a goddamn second those guys quit."
He continued with saying that while it's an unpleasant thing to deal with, having to deal with overreactions like that is a valuable learning experience for this group.
You've got to be really careful how you use that word. No matter what context you want to put it in, they didn't quit. But for them to hear it, for them to be questioned, that's part of the process. You don't complain about it, you go about your business, and you learn to handle those types of situations. It's really important for basically a young group out there."
Flyers Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Tyson Foerster - Ryan Poehling - Travis Konecny
Owen Tippett - Morgan Frost - Bobby Brink
Noah Cates - Sean Couturier - Garnet Hathaway
Joel Farabee - Scott Laughton - Cam Atkinson
Defense:
Cam York - Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale
Egor Zamula - Erik Johnson
Starting Goalie:
Sam Ersson
Capitals Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Alex Ovechkin - Connor McMichael - T.J. Oshie
Aliaksei Protas - Dylan Strome - Tom Wilson
Max Pacioretty - Hendrix Lapierre - Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn - Nic Dowd - Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Defense:
Martin Fehervary - John Carlson
Trevor van Riemsdyk - Vincent Iorio
Alexander Alexeyev - Dylan McIlrath
Starting Goalie:
Charlie Lindgren
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