The future is pretty simple for the Philadelphia Flyers if they get one point when they host the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon.

They are in the playoffs.

Should they lose — depending on what else happens on Saturday and possibly Sunday — the Flyers could actually find themselves playing an extra game against the Florida Panthers Tuesday to see which team moves forward.

“It’s a great feeling Eric Ebron Jersey ,” Flyers forward Michael Raffl told NHL.com Friday. “The fact that it comes down to the last game is even better. Stays exciting.”

Coming off Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, the Flyers (41-26-14) occupy the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They are one point behind the New Jersey Devils, who hold the first wild card, and the Columbus Blue Jackets, who sit third in the Metropolitan Division.

The Panthers are four points behind the Flyers, but have two games remaining, against the Sabres and Bruins. It is conceivable that by Sunday night, the Flyers and Panthers could be knotted up even with the tiebreakers, thus forcing a playoff.

“Obviously you would have liked to have clinched by now, but if we win (Saturday) or get a point, we’re in Russell Shepard Jersey ,” defenseman Andrew MacDonald told PhilyNews.com. “We control everything. Obviously, we have to go out and get the job done. … The boys are looking forward to the opportunity.”

Goalie Brian Elliott, who got the win Thursday in his first game back from core-muscle surgery, will start against the Rangers. Elliott made 19 saves in his first game since Feb. 10.

“I thought he did a real good job,” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. “It was good for him to get that game under his belt. I thought he played hard for his teammates and vice versa, and we got the good result.”

Sizzling Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist and has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) during a nine-game point streak

Henrik Lundqvist will start Saturday for the Rangers (34-38-9), who will close out a season that saw a perennial playoff team slump badly before being broken up near the trade deadline.

The Rangers lost to the Islanders 2-1 on Thursday night and are 1-4-1 in their last six games, though they are a surprising 7-8-3 since the Feb. 26 trade deadline passed.

Ironically, the Rangers traveled to Philadelphia needing a win in the final regular-season game in 2010 to make the playoffs and lost in a shootout after Lundqvist made 46 saves in regulation.

“For us who were there, I think going into (Saturday) Ryan Kelly Jersey , we want to play a really strong game, for ourselves and also for that reason,” Lundqvist told the New York Post. “They got a big win at a crucial time that time. We’re going to play a desperate and a really good team (Saturday).”

For coach Alain Vigneault, whose future is in question along with many of the players, Saturday is about finishing on a high note.

“At the end of the day, we’ve talked about doing our jobs right down to the end, since we’ve been eliminated, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Vigneault told the Post. “We’re going to go to Philly and try to win a game.”

Vancouver coach Travis Green did a double take when he saw Alex Biega doing postgame TV interviews.

Biega got his first goal in over three years, Brandon Sutter had two goals and an assist and the Canucks beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Tuesday night.

”You don’t see that a lot with the Bulldog being interviewed after his game-winner, so I had to get a picture of it Shon Coleman Jersey ,” Green said about Biega with a smile.

Biega, who last scored on Feb. 16, 2015, blasted a slap shot from the corner of the blue-line that cleared traffic and found the net, giving Vancouver a 2-1 lead three minutes into the third.

”The other (goal) was around the same spot, so I think I’m going to have to shoot pucks after practice around that spot,” Biega said.

Sam Gagner also scored for Vancouver, which has won three of four since losing seven straight. Jacob Markstrom stopped 23 shots.

Andrew Cogliano scored for the Ducks, who wrapped a four-game trip and are on a 5-1-1 stretch.

The loss dropped Anaheim into a tie with the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific Division, though the Kings have a game in hand. The teams play Friday night.

”We’ve got probably two of the biggest games of the year coming up, L.A. on Friday night and Colorado on Sunday T. J. Carrie Jersey ,” coach Randy Carlyle said. ”That pretty much sums it up, it’s desperation time for everybody and we’re going to have to play to a higher level than we did tonight.”

Anaheim’s John Gibson made 26 saves. He has been dominant against Vancouver, coming into the game 6-1-1 with a 1.37 goals-against average and three shutouts against the Canucks.

Vancouver got to him at 9:53 in the opening period. Daniel Sedin’s shot from the faceoff circle bounced off Gibson and right to Gagner, who batted in the rebound.

Markstrom made two big saves in the second period. The first off a 3-on-2 with Ryan Getzlaf setting up Andrew Cogliano and the second on Corey Perry shooting from inside the slot.

Markstrom later made a gaffe that lead to the Ducks’ tying goal. The puck took an odd bounce off the stanchion during a dump-in, and Markstrom was caught stranded as Cogliano whipped the errant puck in.

”If we win 4-1 and that is the goal that beat me I’ll take that any day,” Markstrom said. ”It’s frustrating when it happens, but if we win 4-1, I’ll take that goal any day.”

Sutter made it a two-goal lead when he burst out to a breakaway, hit the side of the net, then collected the puck and flipped it in over an out-of-position Gibson.

Sutter added his second of the night into an empty net with 16 seconds left.

NOTES: U.S. Olympian Troy Terry made his NHL debut for the Ducks. He played on a line with Ondrej Kase and Adam Henrique. … Newly signed Canucks C Adam Gaudette did not dress and is expected to make his NHL debut Thursday against Edmonton.

UP NEXT

Ducks: Host Los Angeles on Friday night.

Canucks: Host Edmonton on Thursday night.

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