The Philadelphia Flyers season will come down to Saturday's game

I guess there is no minute like the last minute. A month ago, the Philadelphia Flyers were pretty much locked into a playoff spot. Then, they dropped eight games in a row; mostly to teams they should have blown out of the water.

That's why you play the games though. On Thursday, the Flyers managed to salvage, for now, their lingering playoff hopes after dropping the NY Rangers.

So, it comes down to this. There are two games left in the season. I'd like to say that it's just the New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals that stand in the way of Philly's postseason dreams. They do, but it is not that simple. They will need help.

However, a big part of them making the playoffs depends on them beating the Devils (1-1-1) and the Capitals (0-1-1).

The Philadelphia Flyers have their entire season coming down to one weekend

Saturday almost determines what happens to the Flyers. First and foremost, the Flyers need to win. The Flyers have 85 points. So do Washington and Detroit. Pittsburgh is sitting in the eighth and final playoff spot at 86 points. Four teams vying for one spot.

Saturday's schedule is pretty favorable to the Flyers. That is if they can defeat the Devils. The Penguins will host the Boston Bruins. The Red Wings will travel to take on the Maple Leafs in Toronto.

The Capitals will be at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. If the Flyers win and everyone else loses, the Flyers will leapfrog ahead of everyone and reclaim that last playoff spot for the moment. They will be up by one point. That helps, but it won't be enough.

The problem is that the Flyers will have one game left while everyone else has two. After facing Boston, the Pens play Nashville on Monday and then close out on Wednesday with the Islanders.

The Capitals will play Boston on Monday before ending the season on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Detroit will have two games against Montreal next week.

That's the kicker. The Flyers could win their last two games but still be on the outs if Detroit loses to Toronto but then sweeps Montreal.

The Red Wings have the easiest slate. Since the Pens are a point up on everyone, they have the advantage for now. They will need to win at least one game to be assured of a spot. Two would pretty much clinch it for them.

If Saturday goes well for the Flyers, they have to scoreboard-watch Monday night's games. It all may come down to Wednesday's game against Washington.

In the meantime, every available Flyer fan needs to try to get to the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday and make that place as inhospitable for the Devils as possible.