Flyers' magic number 3

Philadelphia enters Monday one result away from ending its playoff drought. The Flyers’ magic number is 3 with two games left, starting against Carolina on April 13. (nhl.com) The simplest path is a win. Philadelphia’s official clinching scenarios say any combination of 3 points over its final two games secures third place in the Metropolitan Division and an automatic Eastern Conference berth. (nhl.com) That race tightened Sunday night when Columbus lost 3-2 to Boston in regulation. The Blue Jackets dropped to 93 points in 81 games, leaving the Flyers at 94 points in 80 games entering Monday. (usatoday.com) (espn.com) The Flyers do not need only a straight win-and-in outcome. Their team site said even a regulation tie against Carolina or Montreal could be enough if Columbus lost in regulation, because the Blue Jackets’ “tragic number” had fallen to 1 after Sunday’s result. (nhl.com) This is the part of the National Hockey League standings where a “magic number” just means points gained by one team or dropped by the team chasing it. Philadelphia is trying to lock down the division’s third automatic spot, not one of the Eastern Conference wild cards. (nhl.com) (espn.com) The stakes are larger because Philadelphia has not reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2019-20 season. Daily Faceoff reported Monday that a Flyers berth would be the club’s first since 2020. (dailyfaceoff.com) If the Flyers clinch that Metro spot, their first-round opponent would be the Pittsburgh Penguins. Philadelphia’s site said the Flyers would host Game 3, Game 4 and, if necessary, Game 6 of that series. (nhl.com) There is also a tiebreak warning buried inside the standings math. The Flyers had 26 regulation wins to Columbus’ 28 as of Sunday, which is why Philadelphia wanted to avoid letting the race come down to an even-games-played points tie. (nhl.com) Washington is still technically alive after beating Pittsburgh 3-0 on April 12, while the New York Islanders were eliminated by Montreal’s 4-1 win the same day. That left the Flyers with the clearest path in front of them and the fewest moving parts left to track. (apnews.com 1) (apnews.com 2) The schedule now puts the pressure squarely on Philadelphia. The Flyers host Carolina on Monday, April 13, and Montreal on Tuesday, April 14, with a playoff berth available before the regular season ends. (nhl.com)