The Philadelphia Flyers can lock up third place in the Metropolitan Division on Monday night at home by beating the Carolina Hurricanes in any fashion, a result that would also end a five-season absence from the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Blue Jackets and Islanders both lost in regulation on Sunday, leaving Philadelphia needing two of a possible four points in its final two games to seal the spot.
If the Flyers do not finish the job Monday, they get another chance Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens. Either way, the path is clear now: one more win, or at least one more result that gets them to the two points they need, and a postseason ticket is theirs.
Christian Dvorak has been a big part of that push. He has 12 points in his last 12 games, with five goals and seven assists in that span, and he is averaging 18 minutes, 28 seconds of ice time per game this season, behind only Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny among Flyers forwards. Dvorak has 51 points this season, including 18 goals and 33 assists, already topping his previous career high of 38 from 2019-20.
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Daniel Briere signed Dvorak to a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension on Jan. 5 after bringing him in as a free-agent addition, part of a series of offseason moves that also included Zegras and Dan Vladar. The signing came after the Flyers cleared Joel Farabee's $5 million cap hit through 2027-28, a move that helped create the room to make the deal.
There is also a harder edge to the roster story. Carl Grundstrom has nine goals and 13 points in 46 games, while Luke Glendening, 36, skated in Winnipeg on Saturday as part of the fourth line and remains a pending unrestricted free agent. Rick Tocchet has described Dvorak as a good fit for rookie Porter Martone and said he loves the center for his veteran attitude and gym rat work ethic.
What comes next is either a clinch at home or one last shot at it Tuesday, with a possible first-round meeting with the Pittsburgh Penguins waiting in the background. For a team trying to end a five-season drought, the finish line is finally close enough to touch.
