March 7, 2015: that was the day the Flyers playoff hopes really ended.
Trying to hold a 2-1 lead in Boston, a late penalty call went against them, and the Bruins scored to tie the game with 15 seconds remaining to force overtime, where Boston would later win. Seconds from being just two points out of a playoff spot, the Flyers were suddenly five points back in a crucial swing game, the last they would have against the team clinging to the final spot.
In the eight games that followed, the Flyers went 1-4-3. Any shot at the playoffs by then was gone.
This season, as the Flyers approach the anniversary of that game and the subsequent drop off out of the playoff race, the Flyers enter March trailing the Pittsburgh Penguins of the final playoff spot by three points. This time around, there isn't a one and only chance to swing the standings against the opponent they are chasing.
So there is plenty of life, but only if the Flyers can handle the task at hand before the next chance to make a direct hit into the Penguins playoff chances, thus impacting their own.
The Flyers will meet the Penguins in Philadelphia for the second of four meetings on March 19. They have seven games before then, with the opponents only getting more difficult as they go.
It starts simply enough, with two of the NHL's bottom feeders in Edmonton and Columbus. Then it shifts to potential future opponents, should the Flyers make the playoffs.
Two games against Tampa Bay, one at home and one on the road, followed by another against the Florida Panthers, also on the road. They get a quick return home against Detroit before it's back on the road the next night to face Chicago.
Then, it's Pittsburgh.
But for now, it's all about how the Flyers get there and how much progress they can make before then.
For one, it's refreshing to see the Flyers back in the hunt with a legitimate chance at a playoff run. Pending upcoming results, the Flyers could even pass the Penguins by Saturday's end, but let's not get ahead of ourselves too soon.
What the Flyers need to do before worrying about where they may sit in the standings after every given night is simply address the task at hand. The team will enter Thursday with a three-game winning streak to start the six-game homestand and two games coming up against lesser teams.
A weak point of the Flyers in previous seasons, we can only talk about this scenario now because of the Flyers success against lesser teams all throughout February, most recently back-to-back wins over Arizona and Calgary.
Any run from the Flyers will also take spirited play against current playoff teams. The Flyers will play five games against teams sitting comfortably in the playoff race before meeting Pittsburgh.
With 20 games to go, the Flyers and Penguins may just be in a run-and-gun fight to the finish.
The Flyers are not going to win all 20. But, sitting with a 29-22-11 record, they are on pace to be better than they were a season ago and surpass the 33 wins they had in 2014-15. Right now, it's about breaking down the small stretches, looking at each game individually and not overlooking the opponent, good or bad.
For several weeks, the Flyers approach has been one game at a time and they have stayed strong in that philosophy. It's one game at a time and control what you can control.
A little more than two weeks from now, we'll see where that gets them and what their chances look like as they get to do battle head-to-head with the team trying to prevent their playoff push.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
