from Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News,

The overall math is simple. The Flyers are almost guaranteed a playoff spot with an 11-4-2 run in their final 17 games. A mark of 11-5-1 will give them a strong chance. They have a prayer at 9-4-4 or 10-5-2. And they're toast at 9-5-3 or worse. This season, it's not necessarily about the Flyers' overall record, but their record in the games that matter most.

Of the Flyers' final 18 games (including Sunday's loss), the only two teams in the East they do not face are the two teams below them in the standings (Tampa Bay and Florida), which have little bearing on how this season plays out, anyway.

Barring any epic collapses, the top six or seven seeds in the Eastern Conference are largely already set in stone - even with a month left in the season. The nine games against those teams - Pittsburgh, Montreal, Winnipeg, Boston, Toronto and Ottawa - go in the "Gravy" category. Essentially, any points earned against those teams are a bonus:

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