Avalanche host Flyers with crucial points on line
With a week and a half left in the NHL season, there is plenty to be decided.
Playoff positioning, who's in and who's out, and standings that are in flux daily.
Two teams fighting to be in the postseason tournament face off Wednesday night in Denver. The Philadelphia Flyers (38-25-14) are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in Dallas on Tuesday night while the Colorado Avalanche (41-27-8) lost in Vegas on Monday night.
While the Flyers are in a stronger position in the Eastern Conference -- the loss put them a point ahead of Columbus for third in the Metropolitan Division -- Colorado is in a tenuous spot with six games remaining. The Avalanche have lost two of their last three games, so beating Philadelphia on home ice is almost a must if they want to complete an incredible turnaround from a season ago.
Despite the 42-point -- and counting -- improvement, Colorado sits outside the playoffs after St. Louis won its sixth in a row Tuesday night. But the Avalanche, who are a point behind the Blues and Anaheim Ducks, aren't worrying about what other teams are doing, they feel they control their own fate.
"You've got to be careful watching the scoreboard because it's wasted emotion," coach Jared Bednar said last week." We're concentrating on what we have to do to get in and how many games we have win and how we have to prepare and how we have to play. If you start watching what everyone else is doing you start riding an emotional roller coaster for no reason. I'd love to look at the scoreboard to see if we got help but we're not expecting any help. This is on us."
The help Colorado needs is on offense. After a strong offensive start to March, things have become stagnant. The Avalanche have three regulation goals in their last three games and leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon has been held off the scoresheet for two straight games -- the first time he hasn't recorded a point in consecutive contests since Dec. 23 and 27.
Wednesday is the last of a three-game road trip for Philadelphia and could bring some good news. Goaltender Michael Neuvirth, who has not played since Feb. 18 because of a lower-body injury, should be in net for the game against Colorado.
"Neuvy is getting really close," Flyers general manager Ron Hextall told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's not easy for a goalie to be out so long. The hunger factor is there. You're hungry to play."
Hextall also told The Inquirer that the team would most likely carry three goaltenders if Neuvirth returns.
"We have more goaltenders than defensemen," Hextall joked to The Inquirer.
Getting back a netminder with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage could help the Flyers not only make the playoffs but climb in the Metropolitan Division. With 90 points, they are two behind second-place Pittsburgh with five games left for each.
The Flyers had a chance to catch and pass the Penguins over the past two games but fell to the defending champions in overtime Sunday before losing again in overtime Tuesday.
Philadelphia's 14 losses after regulation are the most in the NHL this season.
