Flyers shut out by Red Wings

DETROIT - The Flyers' playoff charge was delayed Wednesday in Detroit, and they will have to regroup if they are going to earn an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Red Wings 3, Flyers 0.

In the most important game of the season for both teams, the Flyers started somewhat flat, allowed a bizarre first goal and never recovered before a frenzied crowd at Joe Louis Arena.

Jimmy Howard made 30 saves to register his first shutout since opening night against Toronto on Oct 9.

"Maybe we could have gotten in his face a little more, tried to take his eyes away, but he made a lot of good saves," defenseman Mark Streit said. "You have to give him credit."

Kyle Quincey iced the win with an empty-netter.

The Flyers, who went 0 for 4 on the power play and wasted another brilliant effort by goalie Steve Mason, still hold the second wild-card spot, but they made their task more difficult. They are tied with Boston but have a game in hand on the Bruins.

"It's a missed opportunity for us," Mason said, "but in saying that, we have to put it behind us quickly because we're back at it in less than 24 hours."

The Flyers' magic number for clinching a playoff berth remains at five points with three games left, including Thursday's against visiting Toronto. They also face Pittsburgh and the host New York Islanders.

"We have to have a killer instinct now," Mason said. "We can't let these games get away from us."

If the Flyers went 2-0-1 the rest of the way, they would earn a playoff spot, regardless of what the Bruins do in their final two games. The magic number is reduced when the Flyers get points - and each time Boston fails to pick up two points.

The Flyers suffered their second straight regulation loss, the first time that has happened since Feb. 7-9. They had won their last eight games following a loss.

Detroit is two points ahead of Boston in the race for third place in the Atlantic Division. The teams meet Thursday.

"It's not the result we wanted, but the good thing is we go right back at it [Thursday]," Claude Giroux said.

Before the game, Giroux talked in a soft but excited tone.

"We circled this game a long time ago,," he said. "You get butterflies a little bit; you know how big this game is. But by the end of the day, we just have to go play our game and just enjoy the game."

They didn't enjoy Wednesday's strange start as Detroit scored a fluky goal to take a 1-0 lead with 12 minutes, 3 seconds left in the opening period. Nor another botched power play that led to Andreas Athanasiou's shorthanded goal and a 2-0 Red Wings lead with 16:45 to go in the second period.

Jake Voracek failed to keep the puck in the offensive zone, Athanasiou picked it up and went in on a breakaway, beating Mason with a series of moves to put Detroit ahead, 2-0.

The Flyers, who won two earlier games against Detroit, had a combined four shots on their four power plays. They were 0 for 15 against the Red Wings' penalty kill this season.

Midway through the second, Mason kept the Flyers within 2-0 by stopping the ever-present Darren Helm on a breakaway, then denying Luke Glendening on the rebound.

With 7:47 left in the second, the Flyers finally applied some power-play pressure - helped by the fact that two Red Wings forwards broke their sticks - and they had good puck movement. But Voracek's one-timer from the right circle bounced off the crossbar on their best scoring chance.

On Detroit's first goal, Shayne Gostisbehere was behind the goal line when he was pressured by Brad Richards - who appeared to get away with a hooking penalty - and had his pass bounce off the side of the net and carom to Helm in front. Helm chipped the bouncing puck off Mason's blocker and it went up and over his shoulder and into the net.

Both coach Dave Hakstol and Gostisbehere downplayed the missed call on Richards.

"We're a no-excuse team," Gostisbehere said. He later added, "I probably should have made a stronger play."

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull