Philadelphia Flyers: 5 Reasons Falling in the Standings Isn't a Bad Thing

The Philadelphia Flyers are struggling right now, and a simple answer won’t suffice to explain why it’s happening.

They seem to be losing all of the small battles that separate the elite teams from the rest of the pack, like battles in the corner and chasing down the puck.

The Flyers were winning all of those battles early in the season, and a bit of complacency has sabotaged the effort of the squad.

After losing their last four games, the Flyers have to consider the possibility that they may not finish the season as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

To be honest, that might not be a bad thing.

Avoid the Tampa Bay Lightning

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PHILADELPHIA - NOVEMBER 18: Claude Giroux #28 of the Philadelphia Flyers skates against Victor Hedman #77 of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Wells Fargo Center on November 18, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Lightning defeated the Flyers 8-7. (Pho

The Philadelphia Flyers steamrolled through the early part of this season, but have cooled off recently.

One team that has had the Flyers number has been the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning took three out of four games this season against the Flyers.

If Philadelphia slips in the standings just a bit, it might be possible for the Flyers to avoid the Lightning if they get beat the first round.

Look at Last Season

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PHILADELPHIA - MAY 24: Mike Richards #18 of the Philadelphia Flyers recieves the Prince of Wales Trophy for NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly after defeating the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 4-2 to win in Game 5 and advance from the Eastern Conferenc

The Philadelphia Flyers need to look no further than their own squad to see why they shouldn’t worry about their recent skid.

The team was terrible at times last season and didn’t really come into the playoff picture until later that season. They snuck in the backdoor of the playoffs by beating the Rangers in the last game of the season.

They entered the playoffs as the seventh seed and they made it all the way to the finals. If that shows anything, it’s that great play is a better advantage than home-ice advantage.

Avoid Whoever Comes in Eighth in the Eastern Conference

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NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 06: Brian Boucher #33 of the Philadelphia Flyers covers the puck as Ilya Kovalchuk #17 of the New Jersey Devils looks for a rebound at the Prudential Center on January 6, 2011 in Newark, New Jersey. The Flyers defeated the Devils 4-2.

One of the most dangerous parts of being the top seed in any sport is the chance that you get killed by the buzzsaw that is a team that made a late surge into the playoffs.

The Flyers did it last season and took a lot of teams by surprise in the playoffs. An eighth-place team like the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs or Buffalo Sabres would come into the playoffs red-hot.

One of those teams would be in the playoff mindset far before the actual playoffs, and a team that is resting on its laurels would get run over by a more desperate team.

Still Have Home-Ice Advantage

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 20: Fans of the Philadelphia Flyers look on as their team warms up before playing against the Ottawa Senators on January 20, 2011 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Even if the Philadelphia Flyers fall to second place in the Eastern Conference standings, they will still have home-ice advantage until the Eastern Conference Finals, only if the Boston Bruins are still in it.

If the Bruins get knocked out before the Eastern Conference Finals, then the Flyers will have home ice throughout the playoffs.

If the Flyers have to go to Boston, though, the team showed last year that they can overcome anything in the Garden.

Still Avoid the Boston Bruins

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BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 13: Darroll Powe #36 of the Philadelphia Flyers takes a shto as Daniel Paille #20 of the Boston Bruins defends on January 13, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

With the Boston Bruins surging, a slip in the standings might keep us away from the Bruins come playoff time.

The Flyers are good, but the Bruins are a very well-built team with great goaltending and a solid defense.

If the Flyers fall to second in the Eastern Conference, they would start at the bottom of the bracket against the seventh-place team.

Even when the teams reshuffle, they would avoid Boston and play the next best team.