New Jersey Devils

After giving up two power-play goals in the first and two more in the third period, the Flyers playoff hopes are officially gone. A 5-3 loss to the Devils coupled with a 5-2 win by the Bruins eliminated the Flyers on Thursday night.

As the Flyers face the Devils for the third time this week, a loss of any kind by the Flyers and a win of any kind by the Boston Bruins against the Buffalo Sabres will officially eliminate the Flyers from playoff contention.

The Flyers dropped Tuesday's game to the Devils by a score of 6-4, snapping New Jersey's 10-game winless streak. Coupled with a win for the Boston Bruins, it reduced their tragic number to be officially eliminated from playoff contention to a combination of three points gained by the Bruins or lost by the Flyers.

The four-game series between the Flyers and Devils now heads to New Jersey for the next two games, starting with Tuesday night's game, as both teams begin their final two weeks of play for the 2020-21 season.

On this night, it looked like another dismal performance, just another game of going through the motions. That was until the final two minutes, when the captain of the team willed them to a comeback, eventually ending with a 4-3 victory following a six-round shootout.

After playing deep into the third period with relatively uninspired play, two quick goals by the captain turned the game around and forced overtime. Following the overtime, Kevin Hayes scored the game-winning goal in the sixth round, giving the Flyers a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Devils on Sunday night at Wells Fargo Center.

Five of the nine remaining games, including the next four in a row, will come against the New Jersey Devils, who come to Philadelphia on Sunday night for the first game.

The only thing consistent about the Flyers right now is their ability to be inconsistent. One night, you get a decent effort. The next, you get an embarrassing effort. And on a night when you needed to build on that effort, needed to turn it into a win, needed to start getting things back on the rails right away, the Flyers were as flat as can be.

It may be March, but it sure feels like the Flyers are stuck on Groundhog Day. Tuesday's game against the Devils certainly was recognizable. The Flyers fell behind due to a lack of urgency and puck management, only to claw back to within one goal late before time ran out. It's happened at least three times this month now, with the latest installment coming in a 4-3 loss to the Devils. 

The Flyers continue a four-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils, one of three teams behind them in the standings for now. If there ever was a stretch of the season to begin a turnaround, this is it.