NHL Playoff Bracket if the season ended today for the Flyers

Things have not looked good for the Philadelphia Flyers lately, having lost three of their last four games. To make matters worse, Philadelphia lost to a trio of playoff teams in that stretch by a combined score of 19-7. 

They only beat the San Jose Sharks, but that was a narrow 3-2 win. So in their last four games, opponents have outscored the Flyers 21-10, which isn’t what you want if you are the third-place team in a weak division. If there is any good news, it’s that the Metro’s next three teams - the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Islanders - could be weaker, but two are just three points from tying and four from overtaking Philadelphia. 

Few teams in the Eastern Conference would have their work cut out for them more than the Flyers, as they would play a mighty Carolina Hurricanes team. The Hurricanes are firmly entrenched in the Metropolitan Division’s second spot, and they sit 14 points ahead of Philadelphia. 

What would the NHL Playoff Bracket look like for the Flyers if the season ended today?

Carolina recently got their top trade asset, Jake Guentzel, back, and he has taken this team to another level lately. Guentzel, Sebastian Aho, and company would not be easy for this above-average Philadelphia Flyers team to stop, but they would also have a tough time scoring. 

Sitting 20th in the NHL in goals scored, the Flyers would be going against a Hurricanes team that is fourth in goals allowed with just 184. While their top goaltender, Pyotr Kochetkov, didn’t play a solid game earlier in the year, that isn’t the case these days.

Kochetkov’s 0.911 save percentage doesn’t tell the entire story, as in his appearances since the All-Star Break, the 24-year-old has a 0.928 save percentage and two shutouts despite an average 7-5-0 record. If Kochetkov keeps up this play, he won’t be easy to score against come the NHL playoffs. 

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)