They’ve played 60 games and have 22 to go. That’s a possible 44 points available if they were to somehow run the table the last six weeks of the season. That’s probably not happening. However, after losing to Washington 3-1 in their first game after the Olympic break, Philadelphia has managed to beat the Rangers, then eke out victories against the Bruins and, on Monday night, Toronto. That’s six of a possible eight points. It puts them four points out of a wildcard spot heading into Tuesday night’s schedule. And eight points back of the Islanders for the third seed in the Metropolitan Division with a game in hand over New York. Both routes see Philadelphia behind a few teams they need to overtake.
The last few games have been fun to watch, seeing Matvei Michkov find a new gear of sorts while Dan Vladar continues to keep the team’s head above water. And seeing a few low-scoring, tight-checking victories in a row has been something the Flyers haven’t really put together much the last month or two. But overall, there are pros and cons to the current winning streak, however small a three-game streak is. The longer the Flyers keep playing tight hockey and getting a little bit of puck luck that ends up putting victories (and regulation wins) on the board, the more that argument grows on both sides.
The pros and cons might seem ridiculous to some depending on the side of the fence you lean towards. If you want the team to continue to amass draft picks, get younger and build for the future, than a long winning streak or possible playoff hunt seems foolish. After all, what is one or possibly two playoff victories in the first round going to do for a club still with a horrid power play, no real true center depth, and some issues that need to be dealt with? Keep tearing things down, keep drafting and wait for the youngsters to develop. On the other hand, those who are starving for any glimpse of post-season hockey can’t help but wish this current mini-streak to keep going. What would be so terrible seeing Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras or Jamie Drysdale in the proverbial dance, getting their first taste of what is the best part of the year when everything is at stake? Or seeing the veterans like Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier or Travis Sanheim finally getting back after a rather lengthy absence?
So, we take a look at what are the cons and the pros, the minuses and the pluses, of what a rather elongated winning streak does for the Flyers both this season and possibly moving forward. They’re in no particular order, but we’ll look at the cons first.
Cons of a long winning streak
Draft positioning
The Flyers league-wide sit as close to the middle as is possible in a 32-team league. They sit seventeenth in the standings prior to Tuesday night’s games. Sixteen teams are ahead of them, 15 are behind them. That’s the murky middle. In terms of draft positioning, it’s not impossible to find a diamond in the rough in the sixteenth to eighteenth slot in the first-round of the National Hockey League draft. But often, you find a lot more rough than diamonds. The Flyers could keep winning and, if they slid into a wild card, they would be closer to #20 or #21. If you go one step further, and Philadelphia keeps winning or plays .750 the rest of the way, and there’s a good chance the club is finding themselves in the last eight teams of the first round.
It’s conceivable they could jump six more clubs if they kept winning, which, for a team still in the rebuild mode, isn’t ideal. It would probably mean not landing a blue chip prospect. Or, if the Flyers wanted to move up to land a coveted player, they would have to package at least this low round pick with possibly a prospect, a roster player or a second high-round pick in 2026 or 2027. It’s not ideal, whether the result was playing meaningful games late in the season or being one of the 16 teams in at season’s end.
False sense of security or optimism
With possible wins over the Mammoth, Penguins, and Rangers in their next three games, the Flyers could go from a small three-game winning streak into a slightly bigger six-game streak. That would most likely see the club playing with far more confidence then they have had the last month plus of the 2025-26 campaign. And showing a bit more swagger or moxie in their game. However, such a winning streak should not cover the fact the team still has flaws that need to be addressed. A power play that is still near the bottom of the league for another season is almost becoming systemic. A backup goaltending situation that has remained an issue for what looks to be two or three seasons in a row isn’t helpful either. And the quartet of Sean Couturier, Noah Cates, Christian Dvorak and (as of last night) Carl Grundstrom isn’t exactly a murderers’ row of center depth.
The biggest issue a lengthy streak could result in is having general manager Danny Briere — who remains in this writer’s opinion of knowing far more what he’s doing than not — believing the club is not quite as far off as he thought. Having rose-colored (or in this case orange-and-black-colored) glasses during the high of a winning streak shouldn’t minimize the fact Philadelphia still has a lot of work to do. And are still very rough around the edges. While some might argue signing Christian Dvorak to a lengthy contract is proof Briere fell in love with a not quite new shiny toy, overall Briere has kept the bigger picture in mind throughout. Moving a player or two out before Friday currently on the roster would only drive that point home further.
If the Flyers somehow secured a playoff spot, and pushed a far higher-seeded club to six or seven games before bowing out, that shouldn’t be something to rest your hat on. Nor should somehow pulling an upset and moving into the second round. Regardless of how long a possible winning streak continues, it doesn’t replace the fact the Flyers still need work to do. Both at the draft and most likely in the off-season through trades. And they still need a bevy of high-end talent to acquire. The Flyers aren’t close to realistic contention. At least not yet. No amount of power play goals, multi-point games, or regulation wins over the next 22 games is going to change that.
Pros of a long winning streak
Playoffs? Why the #$@! not?
The last time the Flyers made the playoffs, they played in Toronto. They weren’t playing against the Leafs, they were inside an extremely vacant arena with the global pandemic still going on. They won a three-game round-robin which gave them the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They then defeated the Canadiens in a series that became almost mind-numbing to endure before losing to the Islanders in seven games. That was in 2020, six seasons ago. Only Buffalo, Detroit, San Jose and Anaheim have had longer stints on the outside looking in. And it appears that Buffalo and the Red Wings will snap those streaks this year unless they both fall off cliffs.
Outside of John Tortorella who felt the team was at the cusp of making the playoffs back in 2023-24, and Travis Konecny recently stating he was sick of missing the playoffs, the Flyers and post-season haven’t really been connected much. Seeing the “x” beside their name in the standings would be a small victory of sorts. It would be getting a club into the playoffs that is still with plenty of question marks but somehow managed to overcome those hurdles to play at least eighty-six games in the season. Getting crushed by an opponent might not be a huge feather in their cap at the end of the season. Some might argue it could be a step backwards as they’re not quite ready to take the next step.
The only way to take the next step however is to at least have the chance to compete for that chance. Which is where the playoffs factor. Even Briere knows getting in one year doesn’t mean a gradual improvement every year. Doesn’t happen that way. What would happen is seeing the team either rise to the pressure and put in a good showing at the most important time of the year. Or be swept easily in four games, leaving a bitter taste but knowing just how far they need to go to get to that promised land.
It’s been a long time since the Flyers played playoff hockey in Philadelphia. Hell, Andrew MacDonald scored the last winning goal for the team when they won a game in the second round! But seeing the team experiencing playoff competition regardless of the outcome would put a smile on some people’s faces.
Establishing a culture or bar
It might be low-hanging fruit, but a long winning streak would possibly leave the Flyers in the locker room feeling better about themselves after a rather intense, condensed season. Playing 26 games in 50 days is both a sprint and a marathon, leaving a lot of teams sapped by the end of it. Yet if the Flyers can keep coming up with wins and keep inching their way up the standings, it could set the team up for a bit of success in the bigger picture. As low as the bar is having missed the playoffs for so long, even getting back to where the season could hinge on the last four of five games would be a step forward for the club’s morale if nothing else. Head coach Rick Tocchet has said the team needs to rise to the pressure in games and during certain moments. What better way of doing that with your back against the wall and essentially playing some form of “playoff hockey” prior to the playoffs starting?
With 22 games left, and the playoff magic number somewhere in the vicinity of 97 or 98 points, the Flyers are still going to have to win about three-quarters of their games to get in. And even with that probably need some help or scoreboard watching. But if they kept winning in the next few weeks, it would help make the team play meaningful games down the stretch. That’s something that didn’t happen last year, and hasn’t happened in all but one season since 2020. Again, it’s a low bar to strive for, but for a team that has not had success of late, it’s at least something to possibly lay a foundation or groundwork on.
A good feeling heading into the summer
A lot of teams give cliched answers about the season finale, especially if they’re out of the playoff picture. Buffalo and the Flyers played a nothing game last year outside of the draft lottery balls. Some said before the game winning it would make the team and its players feel good heading into the summer. That sounds like wishful thinking. It’s doubtful the Sabres were gloating about defeating the Flyers in the finale. If they were, then they probably need counselling or help of some sort. Yet, should Philadelphia end up playing .650 or .700 the rest of the way over the next six weeks, that’s perhaps a far better feeling for a bunch of players heading into the summer (or spring). They didn’t quit on themselves, nor simply punch the clock waiting for the season to end, or leave the locker room fragmented. It’s not a huge expectation to expect players being paid hundreds of thousands or millions to put in the effort. Sometimes that’s easier said than done.
It would probably put a bit of a silver lining on a season that had some obvious setbacks. Again, not the end goal, but a small step towards maybe moving in the right direction.
