97.5 The Fanatic: Saunders & Coates Honored, Thanksgiving Playoff Update

The Philadelphia Flyers slipped after a five-game winning streak with two losses against the New York teams. The Islanders came away with a 3-2 win on Long Island on Wednesday. The Rangers defeated the Flyers 3-1 in the Black Friday matinee at the Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers have now fallen out of playoff position after the two division losses. They also got good news about two beloved team broadcasters. The NHL Thanksgiving Playoff Stat It might still be early in the NHL season, but don’t ignore how much the NHL standings at American Thanksgiving traditionally correlate with team success through a full season. According to SportsNet, 76.7% of teams in playoff position at Thanksgiving in 82-game regular seasons since 2005-06 have gone on to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Given the “loser point” for games that end in overtime and shootouts, NHL teams have a harder time gaining ground in the standings in the salary cap era. The Flyers sat outside playoff position on Thanksgiving Day. They lost the tiebreaker for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with the Detroit Red Wings, who had played one less game. They are also not one of the eight most talented teams in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia has, however, played well enough early in the season to earn the league’s respect. John Tortorella has helped them outperform the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils, their two chief rivals of the past 30 years. The raw percentage looks high based on the SportsNet stat. However, it only suggests that roughly 6/8 (75%) of teams in one conference would remain in position. The last three Stanley Cup champions in 82-game seasons have also provided serious outliers. The Flyers shouldn't hang their heads. https://x.com/PR_NHL/status/1728081038272835736?s=20 Saunders & Coates Tim Saunders and Steve Coates will receive the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association’s Bill Campbell Broadcast Award in January, according to Sam Carchidi. The former 97.5 The Fanatic broadcast partners brought energy to the Flyers radio booth with an unforgettable partnership before Coates retired at the end of the 2022-23 season. The Flyers honored Saunders for 25 years in the booth in March while Coates piled up 43 years overall as a Flyers broadcaster. The Flyers family will never let go of their witty sense of humor and their reputation around the Wells Fargo Center as two relatable guys who never miss out on a good time. You can still catch Saunders on the call with Todd Fedoruk, and just look on any golf course in New Jersey to find Coatsey enjoying retirement. Looking Ahead The stretch of eight consecutive Metropolitan Division games will continue on Saturday against the Islanders on 93.3 WMMR. They’ll continue with two games against teams coming off playoff berths before a clash with the Penguins next Saturday. Tuesday 11/28: Carolina Hurricanes, 7:30pm (97.5 The Fanatic) Thursday 11/30: New Jersey Devils, 7:00pm (97.5 The Fanatic) Saturday 12/2: @ Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:00pm (97.5 The Fanatic) 97.5 The Fanatic, the official radio partner of the Philadelphia Flyers, provides a weekly roundup with news, analysis, and the outlook on the 2023-24 season. [select-listicle listicle_id="484732" syndication_name="philadelphia-sports-jersey-numbers-best-1-99" description="no"]