Low Five...High Five

Five games ago, the Flyers were the hottest team in the NHL, riding a 13-3-1 record to the top of the Atlantic Division.

Over the last five games, the Flyers have been plagued by injuries, illness, and untimely turnovers. They’ve started slow, fallen a couple of goals behind, and rallied to make the final scores respectable but not enough to earn two points.

And so, five consecutive losses later, the Flyers have plummeted from second to sixth in the Eastern Conference playoff hierarchy.

That’s simply the nature of the tightly bunched Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

It’s not often that a five-game skid can be viewed as a positive thing, but perhaps a stretch like this is precisely what this team needed to get them into playoff mode. After a six-game slump prior to Christmas, the Flyers refocused and subsequently went on their aforementioned run to the top of the division.

The injuries to Braydon Coburn and Scottie Upshall don’t appear to be long-term in nature. Joffrey Lupul recently returned to the line up and looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. Barring any setbacks, Simon Gagne should also be able to play prior to the end of the season.

Obviously, the sooner everyone is healthy and playing together the better, as it appears less and less likely that the roster will need adjusting to accommodate Peter Forsberg. Continuity of the roster goes a long way towards building the chemistry necessary to succeed in the second season.

The playoffs are a war of attrition, where one off-night can make the difference between a magical two month run and an early exit. It seems as though the rest of the regular season will be also.

On their way down, the Flyers may have passed the Sixers, who are on the way up.

A few months ago, I was of the opinion that this team, in its current form wasn't going anywhere. I thought Ed Stefanski dealing Kyle Korver to Utah would be the start of the fire sale, with veterans like Andre Miller soon to follow. The philosophy appeared to be sell off the assets, accumulate draft picks and salary cap room, and rebuild from the ground up.

And, to be honest, that seemed like the right thing to do.

But the Sixers have done a complete about-face. Five consecutive wins have the Sixers tied with the New Jersey Nets for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. Miller has been mentioned as a possible all-star replacement for Jason Kidd (if Kidd ends up going to Dallas prior to Sunday). Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert have come of age.

Perhaps most importantly, the young 76ers like Louis Williams, Thaddeus Young, and Rodney Carney are all getting minutes and contributing when given the opportunity. Maybe they can do some building with the pieces they already have in place.

Now, I'm pleasantly surprised by the Sixers, but not delusional enough to call them a contender in the East. They lack the size and depth to match up with powers like Boston and Detroit. And, if they got an offer they couldn't refuse for Miller, they may have to take it.

But admit it - the thought of playoff basketball in Philly this summer is pretty remarkable.