Flyers clinch division, stumble into playoffs

It would not have been a big surprise to see the Flyers blow another game Saturday.

This one would have had a bigger impact though.

The Flyers needed a win against the lowly New York Islanders Saturday to clinch the Atlantic Division. 

After blowing leads of 2-0 and 3-2, the Flyers held on for a 7-4 win and their first division title since 2003-04.

It did not come easy though.

The Flyers went from an 88 percent chance of winning the Eastern Conference on March 30th to blowing it and giving the conference title to the Washington Capitals.

It took them over a week in which the magic number was three points, to clinch the division over the Penguins.

The Flyers have stumbled mightily heading into the playoffs, losing 13 of their last 20 games.

A first round match up with the Buffalo Sabres will not be an easy one. 

The Sabres have a proven starter in Ryan Miller.  The Flyers will start Sergei Bobrovsky, who was pulled from Saturday's game.

If they continue to lack a sense of urgency and sleep walk through games like they have for the past month, it is going to be a long summer for the Flyers.

I never will understand how every season the Flyers go through stretches where they are not aggressive and have no sense of urgency.

Whatever it is, they are not playing well right now and are a prime candidate for an early exit from the playoffs.

The Flyers have the talent and depth - let's just hope they wake up.