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So… the Flyers are Only Four Points Out of a Playoff Spot

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Mar 3rd, 2026 · 9:34 AM EST

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Tell ya what brother, if the Flyers end up making a miraculous run to the playoffs, look no further than Monday night for the season pivot.

They beat the Leafs in Toronto for the first time since 2019. They extended their winning streak to three games. Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras scored in the shootout for a 3-2 victory and two more points.

Now they’re four out of the second Wild Card spot, occupied by Boston, with 22 games to play:

Wild Card Rank	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	Pts	RW	L10	Streak
1	Montréal Canadiens	59	33	17	9	75	31	6-2-2	Won 1
2	Boston Bruins	59	33	21	5	71	31	5-2-3	Lost 1
3	Washington Capitals	62	31	24	7	69	30	6-3-1	Lost 1
4	Columbus Blue Jackets	59	30	21	8	68	25	8-1-1	Won 1
5	Philadelphia Flyers	60	28	21	11	67	22	4-4-2	Won 3
6	Ottawa Senators	59	29	22	8	66	26	6-3-1	Won 1
7	Toronto Maple Leafs	61	27	24	10	64	26	3-6-1	OT 1
8	Florida Panthers	60	30	27	3	63	26	3-7-0	Lost 2
9	New Jersey Devils	60	29	29	2	60	26	3-7-0	Won 1
10	New York Rangers	60	23	29	8	54	20	2-6-2	OT 1

The Islanders and Penguins are eight points ahead at this point, so unless the Flyers go on some unreal heater, the focus is gonna be on the Wild Card and not the Metro standings, but they’ve played well since the Olympic break. They’ve allowed just eight goals in four games while winning twice in OT/shootout, which is really the only reason they’ve even in this position to begin with. They’ve played 20 overtime games this season with a .450 OT+shootout win percentage, so this accrual of points beyond regulation is keeping them afloat. They actually have the third-fewest wins in the Eastern Conference.

Of course, at this point we ask ourselves whether or not going to playoffs does anything for anybody. What do they get from that? They get this team some playoff experience, improve the vibes in the buildings, and maybe there’s some momentum going into the offseason with an admittedly limited free agent class. Maybe they show they’re turning a corner and ready to be competitive.

But they’re not winning the Cup this year, so sneaking in and losing in the first round gets you what exactly? Not much. Are they better off missing the playoffs? Probably not. That doesn’t get you anything either. You’re just stuck in purgatory and drafting 11th or 12th. Trading Risto at the deadline still makes a lot of sense, but it’s a buyer’s market and we’ll find out soon enough if there’s any real interest in any of these players.

At least the boys are showing some fight? Let’s #BringittoBroad