Flyers need a big winning streak and fast just to have a shot at the playoffs

After their most crushing loss of the season — a 4-2 defeat Tuesday to shorthanded Boston — where do the Flyers go from here?

And will that defeat give general manager Chuck Fletcher some clarity on whether he will be a buyer or a seller before Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline?

The answers probably won’t be clear until after the Flyers’ next two games: Thursday against the host Islanders, and Saturday’s matchup with the Bruins at the Wells Fargo Center.

“There are still a lot of points [available],” left winger Oskar Lindblom said after Tuesday’s home loss.

The Flyers are five points behind Boston for the final playoff spot, and the Bruins have two games in hand.

With 18 games left, the math doesn’t look good for a team whose identity has been its inconsistency. From period to period.

The Flyers probably need to put together a five- or six-game winning streak at some point — they won nine in a row late last season — to even have a chance to get into the playoffs

There are no indications, however, that a winning streak is in the works, unless Fletcher has a time machine and is able to acquire Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, and Bernie Parent in their primes.

» READ MORE: The Flyers are just bad enough, and it’s the worst thing about them | Mike Sielski

Though the Flyers’ defense has been better in the last three games, their goalies still don’t make enough momentum-turning saves, and their offense has lacked finishers.

Compounding matters: The Flyers’ special teams continually get outclassed. They have not outscored an opponent in special-teams play in their last 12 games.

The Flyers will try to regroup Thursday against the Islanders, who are battling Washington for first place in the East.

“In this type of season, you don’t have too much time to think about [a loss]. Your next game is every other day,” Shayne Gostisbehere said. “For us as a team, we just have to go on to the next one. You’ve got to get points, you’ve got to find ways to win, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

If the Flyers (18-15-5) don’t make the playoffs for the fifth time in the last nine years, they will look back at their missed opportunity Tuesday as a fitting example of their underachieving season.

They didn’t just lose to a Boston team they are chasing for a playoff berth. They failed to capitalize on the Bruins’ misfortune. Because of injuries, the COVID-19 protocol, and circumstances, Boston had to use its No. 4 goalie — Jeremy Swayman, making his NHL debut. The Bruins were also missing the injured Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, two of their top defensemen. Another defenseman, Kevan Miller, played for the first time in 20 games.

The Flyers were relentless in the second period, when Swayman stopped 23 of 25 shots and was the only reason the game was 2-2 heading into the final 20 minutes. The Flyers could have easily had a 4-2 or 5-2 lead.

“What I’ve been told is he’s used to some of those nights at Maine,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, referring to his goalie’s college days, “but that’s atypical of our team. He deserved much better support than we gave him. He got it in the third. I’m happy for him.”

The Bruins showed character as they found a way to win in regulation, mostly because of Swayman (40 saves), Patrice Bergeron (hat trick) and Brad Marchand (four points). Boston has recorded three hat tricks against the Flyers this season, the first time it did that to an opponent in 76 years, according to the NHL.

So instead of climbing to within one point of the vulnerable Bruins — who have been extremely mediocre over the last six weeks — the Flyers fell five points behind. They have one win in seven games (1-4-2) against the Bruins this season.

Meanwhile, Fletcher is working the phones, probably wondering if he needs to drastically shake up a team that has looked out of sync ever since last year’s playoffs.

After an 11-4-3 start, the Flyers are 7-11-2 in their last 20 games. … Carter Hart has lost his last five starts. … The Flyers have allowed the first goal in seven of their last eight games. … Gostisbehere scored his 57th goal Tuesday, moving ahead of Behn Wilson for fifth in franchise history among defensemen. Mark Howe (138 goals) is No. 1. … The Flyers’ penalty kill is 30th in the 31-team NHL with a 72.8% success rate, barely ahead of New Jersey at 72.6%. … Swayman became the fourth Bruins goalie with at least 40 saves in his NHL debut since shots started being tracked in 1955-56. The first: Bernie Parent (42 saves) on Nov. 3, 1965), according to the league.