Flyers: Terrible Loss, Standings Logjam

The Flyers' success over the last month or so (11-3-1 between December 23 and January 23) has moved them back into the thick of the playoff race, but they've now lost two in a row after tonight's awful 4-3 loss at home to Atlanta -- a game the Flyers led 3-1 after two periods. Claude Giroux scored a gorgeous goal to tie the game at 1-1 in the second, and set up the go-ahead goal by Arron Asham shortly after. Dan Carcillo gave the Flyers their two-goal lead, but the Thrashers scored twice early in the third period and eventually won it, scoring their 3 goals on just 8 shots.

Now, two losses in a row are usually not a big deal. What is a big deal is the way the Flyers lost tonight. The Eastern Conference standings right now are a jumble. Coming into tonight's action the 6th- through 9th-place teams (Flyers, Panthers, Rangers, Canadiens) all had 55 points; the Bruins, Thrashers, Lightning and Islanders were next, all with 54 points. The Islanders lost tonight, and the other teams were idle, so the Thrashers' comeback win vaulted them from 11th to 6th place. It's that close, thanks to a combination of parity (mediocrity?) and the extra point teams are rewarded with for games they wait to lose until overtime or the dreaded shootout.

Because of the Flyers' horrendous 3-13-1 run that started in mid-November they're part of the mad scramble to make the playoffs instead of sitting comfortably ahead of the pack. They can't afford to let tonight's loss send them into another downward spiral.