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Flyers need that ‘killer instinct now’

Shayne Gostisbehere, Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux

Shayne Gostisbehere, Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux

AP

With a win tonight over the worst team in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers would greatly improve their chances of making the playoffs.

Should, on the other hand, they blow it against the visiting Maple Leafs, there’s no telling what could happen in their final two games of the regular season. The Flyers host red-hot Pittsburgh Saturday, then play in Brooklyn Sunday against an Isles side that’s already guaranteed its spot in

the postseason.

As you surely know by now, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Boston are all fighting for the final two playoff spots in the East, meaning one of those teams is going to end up disappointed.

“We have to have a killer instinct now,” Flyers goalie Steve Mason said, per CSN Philly. “We can’t let these games get away from us.”

Especially tonight’s game, against a Toronto squad that was built to be bad. The Leafs have dropped six of their last seven in regulation, including last night’s 5-1 loss to Columbus that left their head coach, Mike Babcock, fuming.

After Babcock’s tongue-lashing, don’t be surprised if the Leafs are a touch more competitive tonight. The Flyers should still beat them -- they’d better beat them-- but they’ll need to be sharper than they were last night in Detroit, where they were shut out, 3-0, by the Red Wings.

“We still know we have everything in our control,” said captain Claude Giroux. “We’re disappointed we didn’t get any points (in Detroit), but we’ve got three games left and we know we can do this.”

Related: Bergeron calls on the Bruins to “go out there and do it”