It’s happening again. The Philadelphia Flyers are relying on Claude Giroux to work some magic and give them a whole lot of a better chance to get into the playoffs. The only thing is that this time, Giroux isn’t actually playing for the Flyers.
As the Flyers continue to push and push into the playoffs during these final few remaining games of the regular season, every single point matters — and that job only got harder after the disheartening 6-3 loss to Detroit earlier in the week. They have three games left in the schedule, and obviously if they just go ahead and win all three, then they’re in, since they currently hold that third spot in the Metropolitan division and no team could mathematically reach them with the games that are left.
But, what will make it a whole lot easier for the Flyers and give them some wiggle room in terms of results, is if some teams below them drop the ball and lose a couple of games. It is maybe the most obvious thing typed out into a hockey blog — team wins, good; other teams lose, also good — but it is so vital to everything going on with the Flyers right now.
And, one man that can help secure one of those crucial losses for those other teams, is someone who has pushed the Flyers into the playoffs so many times.
Claude Giroux has the chance to do the coolest thing for the Flyers
Claude Giroux, he of 1,000 games with Philadelphia and a franchise icon — and if we had to introduce him beyond that to anyone reading a Flyers website then, well, go look up some cool highlights — has the opportunity to really make it a whole lot easier for the Flyers. Giroux’s Ottawa Senators are on Long Island visiting the New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon and a road win would be massive.
The Islanders sit just one single point behind the Flyers right now and are ready to pounce on any opportunity the Flyers give them. With new head coach Pete DeBoer behind the bench, they are really going all-in for these final three games to help get that third place back from Philadelphia. They desperately cannot lose any of their three remaining games.
So, in comes Ottawa and with Giroux playing first-line right wing right next to Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson, he has an immense opportunity to put the Flyers on his back once more and kick them into the playoffs. Or, at least give them a much better chance at making it.
According to HockeyStats.com, the Flyers right now have a 51.1 percent change of making the playoffs. This coin flip is just not good enough for our taste. But, if Giroux and his Senators pull off a win Saturday afternoon, that goes up to 57.9 percent. That is still not the most comfortable number, but considering that it just has to do with one single game (and it would increase by so damn much if the Flyers win in Winnipeg on Saturday night) it is a significant enough amount.
Now, if the Senators lose and the Islanders end up winning, they would (hopefully temporarily) take back that third spot in the division and the Flyers’ odds of making the playoffs would go down to just 42.2 percent. That would certainly cause a whole lot of anxiety around the Flyer fan base and we would not be able to handle it if they also ended up losing later on.
Basically, the Flyers, once again, need Giroux and his team to give it their all to win one single hockey game and it would mean the world to the city of Philadelphia. We’ve been here before.
The only unfortunate thing is that the Senators have basically locked up a playoff spot already, with 94 points, three points up on any team below them in the second wild card. And of course with no home-ice advantage to play for, this game really is only a formality for them to end up officially clinching with a couple games left in the season. At least they are not mathematically in already, but it would be a horrific disaster if Ottawa did not find themselves in the playoffs by this time next week.
We have ever single finger crossed for Giroux to score at least two goals and maybe three or four points on Long Island.
