Cates makes NHL debut, Flyers get official boot from playoff contention

The plug was completely pulled on the Flyers' hardly-existent playoff hopes as the club lost to the Wild, 4-1, Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The defeat mathematically eliminated the underachieving Flyers from postseason contention. Realistically, though, the team had plummeted out of the playoff picture when its second double-digit losing skid hit 13 games in late January.

Interim head coach Mike Yeo, general manager Chuck Fletcher and the rest will continue to instruct and construct for next season.

The Flyers (21-35-11) wrapped up a five-game road trip with a 1-4-0 mark, falling to 1-14-2 in their last 17 games away from home.

Morgan Frost scored the Flyers' only goal Tuesday night with a power play marker.

The Flyers were swept by the Wild (41-20-4) in their two-game regular-season series. They stomached a 5-4 loss to Minnesota earlier this month when they blew a 4-3 third-period lead in a span of 25 seconds.

The Wild have won seven straight and are poised for the postseason.

• The Flyers felt the final follow-through on their boot from the playoff race with 15 games left on their schedule.

Last season, the Flyers were knocked out of contention with six games remaining.

They have missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons.

Since their 6-2-2 start this season, the Flyers have gone 15-33-9. Their .342 point percentage over that span is the worst in the NHL.

This has become a massive fixing and it will all start with Fletcher. The Flyers were plagued badly by injuries to critical pieces this season. Getting 33 combined games from Sean Couturier and Ryan Ellis has been damaging probably beyond measure.

But everyone knows the organization can't simply bank on better health to be an all-curing remedy moving forward. While there are some pieces in-house for the Flyers to build around, the roster has glaring needs.

We'll have to wait and see how aggressive Fletcher gets in another retool.

• Noah Cates had the thrill of a lifetime in his NHL debut.

Minnesota's Xcel Energy Center is about a 25-minute drive from where he grew up. Cates was selected by the Flyers in the fifth round of the 2017 draft out of Stillwater Area High School. The 23-year-old signed his two-year entry-level contract Sunday after a four-year collegiate career at Minnesota Duluth.

Cates has developed impressively from a skinny high schooler into a pro-style forward. He moves well, has good length and possesses a lot of qualities coaches love to see in their forwards.

Wearing No. 49, which was last donned by Farabee, Cates looked good in his debut despite the team's result.

He'll compete to be in the club's bottom-six picture next season.

• Carter Hart did not suit up for precautionary reasons. Yeo told reporters in Minnesota that the 23-year-old is dealing with a nagging injury and the Flyers wanted to give him the extra rest before this weekend.

Martin Jones started in Hart's stead and Felix Sandstrom was recalled under emergency conditions to back up.

Jones made 33 saves on 37 shots. He took the net in three of the Flyers' five games on this trip and picked up the lone victory.

Matt Dumba, Kirill Kaprizov, Jordan Greenway and Kevin Fiala all scored for the Wild.

Minnesota trade deadline acquisition and three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 32 of the Flyers' 33 shots.

• Nick Seeler, who played a career-high 71 games in 2018-19 with the Wild, dropped the gloves during the first period against his old club.

Seeler fought Nicolas Deslauriers and the bout did not disappoint.

• On Tuesday morning, the Flyers announced the signing of prospect Ronnie Attard to his two-year entry-level contract.

The 23-year-old defenseman could make his NHL debut this weekend.

• Following a day off Wednesday, the Flyers are set to practice Thursday and Friday before hosting the Marple Leafs on Saturday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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