VOORHEES, N.J. — Saturday’s grand finale against Ottawa won’t mean a lick to Craig Berube’s Flyers, but it has serious playoff implications for other NHL clubs.
For starters, the surging Senators, who now occupy the first wild card with 97 points, need just a point to clinch. A win in regulation against the Flyers or a loss in overtime/shootout does it.
“It’s going to have intensity to it,” Berube said of what could also be his last game as Flyers coach. “It’s good for us. We want to finish out the season strong. On the other side of it, they’re fighting and it’s a big game for them.”
Pittsburgh (96 points), as the No. 2 wild card, can clinch a playoff berth by getting two points over its final two games, either tonight against the Islanders or Saturday at Buffalo.
The Penguins can also clinch if Boston (95) loses to Tampa Bay on Saturday.
The Bruins can only make the playoffs if the Flyers defeat Ottawa in regulation or the Penguins earn no more than one point in their last two games and Boston wins out over Tampa Bay on Saturday night.
Last month, Boston seemed destined to make it.
“Yeah, that’s hockey,” goalie Steve Mason said. “You’re never safe till you are in, which is why you have to treat every game as a must situation almost.”
Obviously, the stakes for both Ottawa and Pittsburgh are enormous which lends to the intrigue and magnifies the importance of this finale at the Wells Fargo Center.
Back on Feb. 10, the Senators were 14 points behind the Bruins for the final playoff spot in the East and were dead last. The Flyers were nine points behind Boston that morning.
Since then, Ottawa has launched its best comeback in club history, spurred by goaltender Andrew “The Hamburglar” Hammond’s 19-1-2 record with three shutouts and rookie forward Mark Stone, who has amassed 45 of his 62 points since early January.
“They are playing for everything,” Jakub Voracek, who has one final chance to win the league’s scoring title, said.
“There can’t be a satisfaction [for us] being out of the playoffs … It is what it is. We gotta play hard and get a win. We don’t really care what happens.”
The Flyers lost, 3-1, on Thursday night to Carolina, the 12th straight loss to a non-playoff opponent. The game was boring and suffered a lack of energy throughout.
Things figure to be different against Ottawa, which is 6-2-2 in its last 10 games.
“At least there is going to be some intensity,” Mason said. “If you have two teams that have nothing to play for, those games can be sluggish. The Senators have everything to gain from this game and we can take great pride in taking that away from them.
“If they get one point, they’re in. It be a nice feeling if we can walk away ruining that. They are going to be extremely hungry coming in. They’ve been a top team for the last two months. They are playing with lots of confidence and have overcome a lot. Maybe we can put an end to it.”
Sad and yet funny that throughout February and early March, the Flyers' focus was catching the Bruins.
How ironic that Boston’s total collapse — three wins in its last 10 games — allowed Ottawa to take the position in the standings that the Flyers coveted so badly.
“All these teams this time of year are tough,” Berube said. “If you don’t bring it every night, no matter who you are playing, you are going to get beat this time of the year. Every team is fighting hard. It’s pretty even hockey.”
The Flyers can finish with 24 home wins, which would match their total under Peter Laviolette in 2009-10.
Had they won out with 25 wins, it would have been the most since 2000-01 when they won 26 under Craig Ramsay and Bill Barber.