The Philadelphia Flyers were a great team all season long but they blew their chances of making the playoffs. It is one thing to lose out on the third Metropolitan Divison spot but they couldn't even hang onto the final Wild Card spot that nobody seemed to want.
The Washington Capitals ended up getting it and they are probably one of the worst teams to ever make the playoffs.
On Sunday night, they were swept by the New York Rangers. It wasn't a series in which the Rangers didn't look like they ever felt threatened. They pretty much led the entire series.
It makes you wonder how different things would have been had the Philadelphia Flyers won that final Wild Card spot. It is fair to assume that they would have been more entertaining than the Capitals.
The Flyers would have been much more fun for the playoffs than the Capitals
They might not have won the series but maybe they would have at least won a game. Maybe two. The Flyers are young and have a vibrancy to them that would attract more people.
They also had low chances of even being in the mix coming into the season. The Caps had low expectations too but not nearly as low as the Flyers.
The Flyers aren't even the only team that could confidently say this. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, and New Jersey Devils all would have been more interesting against the Rangers than the Capitals. This was a lost opportunity for the Flyers.
None of it matters though. The Rangers probably would have taken any of these teams down because they are just better this year.
For the Flyers, they need to show up in 2023-24 with the mindset of getting in the playoffs. The talent is there and it is only going to get more plentiful. It should be fun to watch.
The Metropolitan Division is going to stay hot beyond the first round too. The Rangers will play the winner of the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes. As of right now, the Hurricanes lead the series 3-1. From a pure hockey entertainment perspective, Canes vs Rangers would be amazing.