That's because the Flyers are on a roll, and with two games in hand on Detroit, Voracek believes they're well on their way to making up the three-point difference between the clubs in the race for a wild-card playoff spot.
"The way we’re playing, they’ve got to be more worried about not making the playoffs than us," Voracek said Tuesday. "Because they way we play, everybody knows how good we play right now and everybody watches the games."
The Flyers have a 7-2-1 record over the past 10 games as compared to 5-4-1 for the Red Wings, and Tuesday marks the first of two remaining games between them.
Voracek has missed the past seven games with a foot injury and said there's no chance he plays against Detroit, but he hopes to return soon.
The NHL's general managers aren't wasting any time.
During the morning session of the annual meetings taking place in Boca Raton, Fla., it's reportedly been decided that blue line cameras will be installed in the boards of all 16 arenas that will host playoff games this spring, according to Jonas Siegel of The Canadian Press.
The hope is this will ensure the right ruling is made when a coach challenges a goal scored on a seemingly missed offside call.
Also on the docket is a discussion in regards to whether on-ice officials should make this call, or if it should be reviewed and decided in the league's Toronto-based war room.
OSHAWA, Ont. - Jalen Smereck was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Oshawa Generals edged the Peterborough Petes 4-3 on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action.
Mitchell Vande Sompel scored twice in regulation as Oshawa (26-31-8) stayed in...
BOISBRIAND, Que. - Alexander Katerinakis scored twice and added an assist as the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada clinched a playoff spot with a 5-0 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Thursday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.
Pascal ...
Auston Matthews' unique journey toward the NHL is almost complete, and while it looks to have been an overwhelming success, it certainly didn't get a storybook ending overseas.
The 18-year-old's season with the Zurich Lions of the Swiss National League came to an end Thursday after his top-seeded club was swept by No. 8 seed SC Bern.
Bern stuns Zurich w/ a 1st Rd playoff sweep, 4-0. Wins 3-0 in Gm 4 to clinch today. Auston Matthews 0-3-3, 13 shots, in 4 plyoff gms
Matthews is widely expected to be selected with the No. 1 pick at the NHL Entry Draft. He ranked first in NHL central scouting's midterm rankings among all European skaters.
The teenage standout is expected to represent the United Sates at the upcoming World Championship in Russia this May, if he so chooses.
That's where teams and fans alike might get their last glimpse of Matthews before his name is called this June.
There's simply too much at stake in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The NHL is reportedly planning to install cameras "inside the crossbar, looking down" and "along the blue line" in time for the postseason, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman's latest "30 Thoughts" column.
"The plan is to install (blue-line cameras) in the 16 arenas that will host postseason games," Friedman writes. "On the penalty box side, they will be set along the surface. The players' bench is trickier, so the mount will be above the ice."
Offside reviews have been a point of contention this year, as the NHL works out the kinks of its first year with video replay.
As for cameras inside goalposts, Friedman adds that the NHL "is not as bullish as it once was" about the idea. "Too much is obstructed."
The playoffs are scheduled to begin Wednesday, April 13.
With a win over Tampa Bay on Monday, the Philadelphia Flyers moved to within two points of Detroit for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
A recent 7-2-1 run has greatly increased their chances of qualifying for the playoffs, something that seemed like a pipe dream as the calendar turned to 2016.
Now within striking distance of both Detroit and Pittsburgh with 17 games remaining for each club, here's three reasons why the Flyers will indeed be one of the final 16 teams left standing at the end of the regular season.
Ghost Bear, Gudas & Co.
The big story, of course, has been the one they call "The Ghost Bear," who's been nothing short of spectacular since being called up in mid-November. Through 47 games, 22-year-old Shayne Gostisbehere has recorded 14 goals and 23 assists, and only Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Brent Burns, and John Klingberg are averaging more points per game among defensemen.
While Gostisbehere is rightfully being lauded for helping right the Flyers' offensive ship with his breakout performance on the blue line, the emergence of Radko Gudas as a stellar defenseman is also going a long way towards propelling Philadelphia's upward climb.
Sure, his recent four-point night was an anomaly, and he's known more for questionable hits than pushing the puck up the ice, but possession-wise, Gudas is actually playing at a high level.
Among defensemen with at least 750 minutes of ice time at five-on-five, Gudas ranks 20th with a Corsi rating of 53.7, while beginning only 31.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone.
Defense wasn't expected to be an area of strength for the Flyers, but six of the eight players who have dressed this season sit at or above 50 in terms of five-on-five Corsi.
Top line on fire
Jakub Voracek's lower-body injury could not have come at a worse time, and while he's expected to miss a couple more games, the Flyers' top line has been smoking hot in his absence.
Voracek's expected return should only give the Flyers a more balanced offense, making the team difficult to handle down the stretch.
Their team shooting percentage sits at 7.05 at five-on-five, good for 18th in the league. Even a slight uptick will give the Flyers that much more of a boost down the stretch.
Finally, some solid goaltending
Philadelphia's quest for anything resembling competent play in net has been lengthy and well documented, but general manager Ron Hextall may have finally unlocked that particular achievement.
Once thought to be a lost cause in Columbus, Steve Mason has quietly rejuvenated his career with the Flyers, while the addition of Michal Neuvirth has given head coach Dave Hakstol reason to believe he has a 1A-1B tandem on his hands.
Player
GP
Record
GAA
Sv%
SO
Steve Mason
39
15-15-7
2.61
.916
4
Michal Neuvirth
30
16-8-4
2.29
.925
3
In five-on-five play, the Flyers' .936 save percentage ranks second only to the New York Rangers, meaning the goalies can't be blamed this time around if the Flyers don't end up advancing to the postseason.
With three games remaining against Pittsburgh and two versus the Red Wings, all of the above will be key in terms of passing one or both en route to a playoff berth.
With five weeks remaining on the NHL's regular season schedule, the race to secure a playoff spot should be kicking into high gear.
But are there any teams currently on the outside looking in that have a legitimate shot at one of the 16 postseason berths?
Eastern Conference
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings sit comfortably in the Eastern Conference wild-card spots, while a handful of teams are within six points of the latter. Only the Philadelphia Flyers, however, appear to have a decent shot at making up the difference.
Team
GP
Points
Playoff Chances (%)
Pittsburgh
65
76
87.2
Detroit
65
75
77.2
Philadelphia
64
71
32.8
Carolina
66
69
4.9
New Jersey
67
69
2.0
Ottawa
67
69
1.7
Detroit's minus-eight goal differential is also cause for concern, as the Red Wings are the only playoff team on the negative side of the ledger. But Philadelphia, which sits at minus-nine, isn't exuding much confidence in that area. All three teams, it should be noted, are positive possession clubs, with the Penguins (52) holding the advantage over Detroit (51.3) and Philadelphia (50.2) in terms of Corsi For at five-on-five.
What gives the Flyers somewhat of an advantage is their one game in hand on both Pittsburgh and Detroit, and even more on those below them in the standings. Philadelphia has three games remaining against their rivals from Pittsburgh, and two against Detroit, meaning all five games will carrying great significance for the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Western Conference
Out West, the situation appears to be more dire for teams on the outs.
Thanks to a recent hot streak, the Nashville Predators have all but locked down at least the first wild-card spot, leaving the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild to duke it out for the remaining "x" on the standings board.
Team
GP
Points
Playoff Chances (%)
Nashville
66
78
98.9
Minnesota
67
72
78.5
Colorado
67
70
20.3
Despite the slim two-point gap between the two clubs, the Wild appear to have a clear advantage over the Avalanche in this race.
On the surface, Minnesota's goal differential sits at plus-eight, while the Avalanche's sit at minus-14. And in terms of possession, Colorado is the league's worst in terms of Corsi For at five-on-five (44 percent), while the Wild rank 20th (48). Neither number bodes well for a long playoff run, but Minnesota seems to be the more solid bet to achieve enough regular season success to qualify.
So while there will certainly be some jockeying in terms of the final standings and playoff seeding, it would appear there's a good chance the 16 teams that will battle for the Stanley Cup have already been decided.
But if the 2014-15 Ottawa Senators taught us anything, nothing is decided until 82 games have been played by all 30 teams.
After being suspended by SKA St. Petersburg during the first round of the KHL playoffs, former NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk made a surprise return to the club Monday.
The winger, who was stripped of his captaincy, was back on the ice for the opening game of the team's second-round series against Dynamo Moscow.
Ilya Kovalchuk is back in the SKA lineup for the second round. This after the club had announced last week that he'd sit out the playoffs.
It was reported that SKA offered Kovalchuk $1 million to terminate his contract, and buyout discussions are still ongoing, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. Reports of turmoil between the player and club sparked rumors the forward would eye a return to the NHL.
After leaving his team down 1-0 in its opening-round series, St. Petersburg won its next four games without last year's Gagarin Cup MVP to advance to Round 2.
Kovalchuk retired from the NHL in 2013 with 12 years remaining on his contract with the New Jersey Devils, leaving $77 million on the table. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has noted that all 30 teams must unanimously agree to allow Kovalchuk to return to the league if he tries to come back within a year of playing professionally elsewhere. Should he sit out a full calendar year, he'll require only the Devils' consent.
With his team down 4-3 late in the third, the center scored with 40 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Then, Henrique ended the game at the 1:54 mark of the extra period, securing a big two points.
The win improved New Jersey's record to 31-27-9, good for 69 points on the season. They now sit five points back of Pittsburgh for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
