With Shutout Loss to Red Wings, Flyers Now Clinging to Wild Card Playoff Spot

The Philadelphia Flyers (39-27-13) face what could come down to the biggest must-win of all the remaining “must-win” games they’ll come up against in the regular season when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night. Philly now clings to the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot in a virtual tie with the Boston Bruins (who will host the Red Wings) Thursday on the heels of the Flyers 3-0 loss in Detroit (41-28-11) on Wednesday night. The Flyers appear in the second wild card spot in the official standings due to a game in hand over the Bruins (41-30-9), meaning that there’s an additional three points that Philly can claim in the standings that Boston cannot. The Flyers can clinch the playoffs with five points over their last three games.

Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard turned aside all 30 shots the Flyers threw at him on Wednesday as Detroit built a 2-0 lead through two periods before adding an empty-net goal late in the third. Steve Mason made 23 saves on 25 shots in the losing effort. For more on this game, click here.