NEW YORK -- If the Flyers wind up missing the playoffs this season, they will likely point back to an 0-4-2 stretch that spanned the end of October and the beginning of November as the reason why.
The Islanders are in the midst of a skid right now that could have similar repercussions. They just finished up a 1-4-1 stretch of games themselves, five of which came on the road.
Both teams are also dealing with goalie issues. The Flyers just lost backup Michal Neuvirth for three weeks with a lower-body injury, while the Islanders have been scuffling ever since they lost starter Jaroslav Halak to a lower-body injury of his own back on March 8.
As a result, the Flyers will begin this four-game road trip just five points back of New York for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and three points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot. A disastrous second period in Saturday’s loss to the Penguins cost them a chance to pull even closer tonight.
“Last game, nothing was clicking. We weren’t getting anything,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. “I think it’s important that we rebound from this game and play the way we can.”
Over the last month or so, the Flyers have proven themselves capable of performing like a playoff team. They’ve gone 8-2-1 in their last 11 games and have scored at least three goals in nine of those contests.
Yet the Flyers are still trying to climb uphill. That early season swoon has, in the long run, put them in a position in which each game on this road trip carries the potential for a huge swing in terms of their odds of making the playoffs. Per sportsclubstats.com, a regulation win Monday would push the Flyers’ playoff odds up to 59.4 percent from 47.2. A regulation loss would send them tumbling down to 37.6 percent odds.
NHL
“It’s gonna come down to divisional opponents,” right winger Jakub Voracek said. “We play the Islanders three times. We play Pittsburgh twice. We play Detroit one more time. Those are half the games [remaining on the schedule] with the teams that are right in front of us, so we’ve got to focus on that.
“Obviously, tonight’s a huge game.”
Voracek’s math is a bit fuzzy — the Flyers actually play the Islanders only one more time after tonight, the regular-season finale on April 10 — but the broader point stands: With 12 games left, they can’t afford to put themselves in a deeper hole than they already put themselves in, especially not against a struggling team ahead of them.
Tavares looms
Tonight will be Islanders center John Tavares’ 500th NHL game. Since being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, the Islanders’ captain has been one of the league’s top scorers and facilitators.
The Flyers have held Tavares to just one point in three meetings this season, but know he’s still a player to watch as the anchor of the Islanders’ top line.
“They’ve mixed and matched a little bit on their top line. It’s obviously Johnny T, but besides that they’ve had different guys around him. [Anders] Lee, [Brock] Nelson, [Kyle] Okposo with him,” right winger Wayne Simmonds said.
The Islanders surrounded Tavares with Nelson and Ryan Strome in their last game, a 3-0 shutout loss to Dallas.
“I know they’re generally a strong puck possession line, obviously, with Johnny T out there. They do a lot of damage off transition," Simmonds said.
“I think for us, you’ve got to keep the puck away from them and not make mistakes in the neutral zone and we should be good.”
Morning off
Center Sean Couturier did not participate in the Flyers’ morning skate, but coach Dave Hakstol said he was 100 percent healthy and just received the morning off.
He will play Monday night (see game notes).
Projected Flyers lineup
F: Brayden Schenn-Claude Giroux-Wayne Simmonds
Michael Raffl-Sean Couturier-Sam Gagner
Jake Voracek-Nick Cousins-Matt Read
Scott Laughton-Pierre-Edouard Bellemare-Ryan White
D: Andrew MacDonald-Shayne Gostisbehere
Nick Schultz-Mark Streit
Brandon Manning-Radko Gudas
G: Steve Mason
Scratches
R.J. Umberger, Evgeny Medvedev, Chris VandeVelde (suspended)
Injured
Michal Neuvirth, Michael Del Zotto, Jordan Weal