If They Get There, How Will They Do?

It's obvious that the Flyers are struggling right now, but do the last 10 games of the regular season have any bearing on playoff success/failures? Let's look at all of the post lockout champions and first round sweeps to see.

06/07 Champion- Anaheim Ducks
L 5-3
L 2-1
W 3-2
L 1-0
W 3-1
W 5-2
W 3-2
L 3-2
L 2-1
W 4-3

So they won five of their last ten. That's obviously worse than their season winning percentage, so they really didn't go into the playoffs very hot. Their goal differential was also only +1, so if there is a correlation between being hot in the last 10 games and winning in the playoffs, the Ducks don't show it.

06/07 Sweep Victim- Atlanta Thrashers
W 2-1
W 4-3
L 5-1
L 2-1
L 3-2
W 3-2
W 3-2
L 3-2
W 4-1
W 3-2

The Thrashers, who went down to the Rangers in four easy games, actually played better than Anaheim in their last 10. They won 6 games with a goal differential of +1. This was the first time they ever made the playoffs, so their defeat was kind of embarrassing. Like the Ducks, the Thrashers show no connection between the end of the regular season and playoff results.

05/06 Champion- Carolina Hurricanes
W 3-2
L 5-2
W 6-5
W 4-3
W 4-3
L 5-2
L 4-3
W 5-4
L 3-2
L 4-0

Another team whose playoff run did not mirror their final 10 games. They too only won 5 of their last 10, and it wasn't pretty with a goal differential of -4. They were playing poor hockey, but when push came to shove, they were able to win the 16 they needed to win the Cup.

05/06 Sweep Victim- New York Rangers
W 5-1
L 4-1
W 3-2
W 3-1
W 4-3
L 3-2
L 3-2
L 5-3
L 4-1
L 5-1

Here we go. The Rangers won 4 of their last 10, but they finished on a five game losing streak with a goal differential of -6. Of the four teams we've looked at, they're really the only ones whose finish helped people predict their playoff run, or lack thereof.

So Flyers fans, if they make the playoffs, it's not a lock that they're four and done. Not because of their poor finish, anyway. If the Flyers are out quickly, it's because they're not good enough. It's a small sample size, but from what we saw, the last 10 games of the regular season don't tell you what a team is going to do in the playoffs.