Flyers: Mapping Out Ideal Scenario for Regular-Season Finale on Tuesday

One game remains on the Flyers schedule in the 2023-24 regular season. By virtue of a regulation loss by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, that game will carry some form of meaning. How much will all depend on the other results starting on Monday night.

First and foremost, the Flyers will have to win Tuesday’s game against the Washington Capitals to have any shot at the playoffs. What is still to be determined is the method for which that win needs to come and if the Flyers have any shot of clinching on Tuesday without additional help.

On Monday night, all three of the Penguins, Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings. The Flyers need a regulation loss from both Pittsburgh and Detroit in their final two games of the season to make the playoffs. If both teams were to lose on Monday in regulation, they would be eliminated from playoff contention, with the winner of the Flyers-Capitals game reaching, at minimum, 89 points. 

If the Capitals were to also lose on Monday, a win of any kind by the Flyers would be enough to make the playoffs. If the Capitals win, the Flyers would need to win in regulation to make the playoffs.

So for one final time as the Flyers remain idle on Monday, these are your rooting interests:

• Pittsburgh loss in regulation to Nashville
• Detroit loss in regulation to Montreal
• Washington loss of any kind to Boston

That would set the stage for Tuesday. If Detroit or Pittsburgh were to earn at least one point on Monday, everything remains up in the air for the final two nights of the regular season in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers would still need to win against Washington – possibly in regulation – but Detroit could potentially put both teams away with another win over Montreal. Pittsburgh faces the New York Islanders on Wednesday, and could have the entire scenario in front of them after Tuesday night.

Three teams sit at 87 points. Pittsburgh is one point back at 86. For the Flyers to make the playoffs, they need to reach 89 points, keep Washington and Detroit to 89 points or lower, and have Pittsburgh lose one more time in regulation to prevent a three-point gain.

The Flyers hold the regulation wins tiebreaker over Detroit. There is a chance that the tiebreaker between the Flyers and Capitals could come down to either head-to-head points or goal differential. The Flyers would get the edge in both tiebreakers with a regulation win. However, the Flyers would fall short of tiebreakers with Pittsburgh.

All three teams surrounding the Flyers in the standings play on Monday night at 7 p.m., so scoreboard watching will be on overdrive. Then, it all comes down to Tuesday and how the Flyers play in one final game.