Desperately needing a win, the Philadelphia Flyers couldn't get it done, falling 4-3 in overtime Thursday night against the last-place Toronto Maple Leafs.
The loss was a near-fatal blow to the Flyers playoff hopes, but with two games remaining, they're still mathematically alive.
Philadelphia let a playoff position slip out of their grasp for the first time since March 21, but needing two consecutive wins to earn a spot as an Eastern Conference wildcard is an opportunity the Flyers need to be thankful for, or at least Claude Giroux thinks so.
"Tell us two months ago we'd be in this position and we'd take it," the Flyers captain told Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. "We played really good in the second and third period."
Giroux is right, the Flyers were the better team for the final 40 minutes. But after a sloppy first period, the Flyers couldn't surmount an early 2-0 deficit.
Philadelphia out-shot Toronto 44-26 in the game, and forced overtime with a last-minute goal from Wayne Simmonds, salvaging at least one point - another thing the Flyers are thankful for after the disappointing result.
"We didn't do it. They came down and had a couple chances and scored two goals. The point is huge, but we needed to get two," said Flyers forward Jakub Voracek, who was out of position on the Leafs' first goal, and finished the contest minus-2.
Now, the Flyers control their own destiny, but earning a berth in the playoffs won't come easy. Philly's final two games come on back-to-back days against two playoff-bound opponents in the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders.
Anything can happen as the season comes to a close, and the Flyers are no strangers to dramatic playoff-clinching scenarios.
