With Flyers’ playoff hopes on life support, team needs win vs. Devils

The Flyers were hoping to get four points last weekend. They got one.

Sitting a half dozen points out of the eighth playoff spot in the East — with Michael Del Zotto sidelined indefinitely with an upper body injury — Philadelphia is bruised, battered and running out of time.

If they can’t return to their winning ways and show signs of life by the end of the month, the season could end early for Flyers fans.

The team was embarrassed in New York Sunday in it’s 3-1 loss to the Rangers, this a day after an equally detrimental overtime setback at home against the Devils.

“Huge games — basically four-point games and we need to win those,” Mark Streit said following the Sunday setback. “Nothing we can do right now. We have to shake it off and stay positive.”

Another chance at a ‘four-point game’ comes in North New Jersey Tuesday in a rematch against the Devils and Cory Schneider. It is a big one for Philly, a team that has lost each of its last four games against Metro opponents.

“Our goal is to make the playoffs,” Flyers rookie Shayne Gostisbehere, who extended his record point-scoring streak to 12 games Sunday, said.”Nothing is going to change until we get there. It’s how we respond now. We have to turn some negatives into positives.”

With the NHL Trade Deadline looming on February 29, there is limited time for the Flyers to show they are buyers before the team (potentially) turns its attention on 2016-17.

After their game in Jersey, the Flyers have two days off before embarking on a three-game road trip. They’ll head to Montreal, Toronto and Carolina before a six-game homestand beginning February 25.