As they head toward the Intra-State Cold War Series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers need to get a few things in order.
At the top of the list: making sure goalie Ilya Bryzgalov regains the mojo he created with one of the best months in NHL history.
The list also includes the following: getting Danny Briere, Nick Grossmann, Andrej Meszaros and James van Riemsdyk healthy, and learning how to get off to quick starts and avoid expending the energy it takes to make comebacks.
Oh, and planting a seed of doubt in the minds of the New York Rangers in case they meet down the road in the playoffs.
On Tuesday night, in a 5-3 loss to the Rangers, the Flyers made no progress on their to-do list - other than the fact that the injured players got another day to heal.
The idea was for Bryzgalov, who missed the previous three games with a chip fracture of his right foot, to fine-tune his game before the playoffs. Bryzgalov couldn't be faulted for most of the goals - his defense deserted him, and the penalty-killing unit was abysmal - but it was hard to imagine him gaining any confidence from his first start in eight nights.
Bryzgalov said he felt out of sync from the layoff.
"I think I could play better," said Bryzgalov after stopping 19 of 24 shots. "I was a little bit rusty after missing a couple games and practice, but I liked our character. We don't give up after 4-0."
The 31-year-old goalie, the NHL's player of the month in March, said it was "very important" he play the final two regular-season games to get back into a rhythm and "make sure all systems are working hard before we step into the most important time of the year."
As for the Flyers planting doubt among the Rangers should they have a playoff date? Well, let's just say the only problem the Blueshirts would have in that series is overconfidence.
The Rangers swept the season series from the Flyers, six games to none, and outscored them, 24-11.
Enough said.
After the morning skate, the Flyers, who were coming off an emotional 6-4 win in Pittsburgh on Sunday, talked about getting off to a better start. Falling into a 4-0 hole after one period is not what they had in mind, especially against the probable Vezina winner, Henrik Lundqvist.
"It seems we've had a lot of slow starts against them," said winger Wayne Simmonds after scoring a goal for the fifth straight game. "And they shut it down real good and it's hard to come back against a goaltender like that."
They have trailed by at least a 2-0 margin in seven of their last 10 games. That's a recipe for a playoff disaster. So is the fact they were outscored, 3-1, on special teams.
"I don't know how many times we've had a lead in the last 30 games," said winger Jakub Voracek, who scored his 18th goal. "We were down in almost every game, and we always come back - which is a good thing, but obviously we would play with more confidence if we were up. We have to figure it out."
While the Flyers were losing at home, the fourth-place Penguins were winning in Boston to open a three-point lead over their cross-state rivals with two games left. The teams will likely meet in the first round, with the Penguins close to securing the home-ice advantage.
The Flyers' best chance to beat the Penguins, of course, is if Bryzgalov continues to play like the born-again goalie who put together ridiculous March numbers - a 10-2-1 record, a 1.43 goals-against average, .947 save percentage, and the NHL's second-longest scoreless streak since 1967-68.
Bryzgalov will work this week toward getting his timing back. The Flyers will work on special teams and (miracle of miracles) getting an early lead.
"I don't care if we lose 10 games in a row against them," defenseman Kimmo Timonen said of the Rangers. "I care how we play going into the playoffs, and that's not the way you're going to win going into the playoffs, whether it's the Rangers or whoever. I'm worried about the effort we gave today. Our game should be [in] order going into the playoffs and make sure we're ready to go."
If not, it will be the 37th straight year without a Stanley Cup parade down Broad Street.
Contact Sam Carchidi at scarchidi@phillynews.com
or on Twitter @BroadStBull.
