Flyers Miss Playoffs After 2-1 Loss vs. Capitals

Ersson had quite a few disastrous starts during the Flyers’ eight-game losing streak from March 24 through April 9. With his team allowing four or more goals in each contest over that time frame, he has now allowed just two goals in his last three starts. Ersson ended off on a positive note, and to Tortorella’s point, that could be the best thing for him.

Goaltending is largely a mental battle, and Ersson seemed to have won it closing out his regular season with a bang. Finishing off strong could help his growth.

Tortorella Gets Revenge…Without Realizing It

With around three minutes left in the third period, the Flyers were tied up at one against the Capitals needing a regulation win to make the playoffs. Willing to sacrifice anything to make that happen, Tortorella pulled Ersson to give his team an extra attacker.

Just a minute before that took place, though, the Detroit Red Wings miraculously tied their game up with the Montreal Canadiens with three seconds left in the third period. This goal eliminated the Flyers from postseason contention since they went to overtime.

At the same time, Ersson was pulled, and the Capitals scored. The Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, needing a loss from Washington and a win of their own to make the playoffs, did not get both — the Red Wings and Penguins were eliminated from the playoffs simultaneously due to an empty-net game-winning goal from the Capitals.

Serving as probably the wackiest way for two teams to be eliminated from the playoffs and one team to get in, the Flyers took part in some sweet revenge. According to his own testimony, Tortorella had no idea about Detroit’s goal.

Instead of being an unfathomable level of pettiness, Tortorella was just doing right for his team and trying to get a regulation win. The Red Wings had back-to-back multi-goal comeback wins just to miss the playoffs. Even if Tortorella’s actions weren’t out of spite, the final outcome sure seemed like it.

Flyers Competed Well When They Needed To

The Flyers only scored a single goal, but they were in the game with the Capitals the entire way. They had a few phenomenal chances that they didn’t fully take advantage of, arguably playing better than Washington did overall. Of course, they had to press just a little bit harder to win in regulation but they couldn’t do that. In another circumstance where they could have won in overtime or a shootout, perhaps there would have been a new winner.

Unlike during the Flyers’ eight-game losing streak, they played a solid all-around game here. They did a great job not to give up too many chances for Ersson to deal with, but they also brought the offense, too. It wasn’t necessarily common, but Philadelphia did overwhelm the Capitals at some points. A down-and-out save on Travis Konecny by netminder Charlie Lindgren might have saved his team’s season — the Flyers certainly tried their best.

Even though they ended up losing, the Flyers’ effort was a definite positive. They might not have generated as much offense as they probably should have in a must-win contest, but their competitiveness against a team that was fighting for their playoff lives was a great one. The Flyers still need some help in terms of their roster talent, but they aren’t far off in terms of how hard they fight. They have held a no-quit attitude all season long.

Next up, the Flyers have an interesting offseason to look forward to. Will they be buyers? Will they be sellers? What will they do at the NHL Draft? Their pick, which will be 12th overall unless any changes happen at the draft lottery, could land them a star player. While the Flyers didn’t make the playoffs, this season was a roller coaster and an objectively positive step for their rebuild. The next few months might not have any Flyer hockey, but it will be back soon enough.