The last thing the Flyers wanted to have happened was to come into the final weekend of the regular season with pressure to win out.

And what happens on Friday night with Columbus playing at Tampa Bay will have a direct impact on either increasing the pressure or relieving some of it.

As good as this team felt about itself after clinching a playoff berth on Tuesday in Florida, they looked pretty stunned after Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Bolts which surrendered home ice and 2nd place in the Metro Division to the Rangers.

Personally, I have felt all along the Flyers would be better off slipping to the wild card to play Pittsburgh but it's too dicey. Slip too far and they end up with Boston and NO ONE in the East relishes having to play the Bruins in the first round.

I spoke to Craig Berube today. He said his goalie rotation this weekend may now have to go on hold. If the Flyers have to win out to retain third place in the Metro, then Steve Mason plays both games this weekend.

I found it interesting that Sidney Crosby said today he wants the Penguins to play a full roster against the Flyers. If you are Pittsburgh, you want to avoid the Flyers in the first round. You play a lesser roster and concede points to them. Crosby feels the Penguins needs to be sharper and playing the Flyers with a full deck will help them for next week when the post-season begins.

Lotta people still can't get over the two mistakes Steve Downie made in the loss at Tampa which resulted in two goals. In the first period, a bad, high-risk pass that gets picked off with Steven Stamkos on the ice and becomes a goal. In the third period, Downie inexplicably loses his man, leaving Eric Brewer alone - no one within 10 feet of him _ for a critical goal that ices the game.

I liked how Wayne Simmonds indirectly called out Downie, referring to "bonehead" plays made in the game that resulted in the loss.

Berube told me he liked it, as well, because he feels his team holds each other accountable.

Here's a poll question: How comfortable are in in thinking the Flyers will get a split at MSG in the first, two games of a series there?

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