Nick Cousins

Flyers center Nick Cousins, holding up a puck from his first NHL game Tuesday in Vancouver, is expected to suit up again Thursday in Calgary.

CALGARY — The morning after yet another tough road loss, the Flyers woke up Wednesday in a different Canadian province and were back at it practicing at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Tuesday night's 4-1 loss in Vancouver was more confirmation that there will be no late miracle run for the Flyers, who are 10 points out of a playoff spot with 10 to go.

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The goal now for the Flyers, who play the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, is to finish the season on a on hot streak.

Here are 5 Flyers things we learned on Wednesday:

1. Flyers right wing Jakub Voracek is a realist. Although not giving up, he knows the Flyers aren't making the playoffs, and on Wednesday he became the first of their players to admit it publicly. "There only eight (teams from each conference) that makes the playoffs, and unfortunately it's not us this year," Voracek said. "But it is what it is." Voracek, who is three points back in the NHL scoring race, says his goal in the Flyers' final 10 games is to play hard, have fun and win some games. "You're still playing an NHL game," he said. "You're still playing the best game in the world. You're playing against the best players. You gotta enjoy it. ... You've gotta play hard because it shows your character how you perform even when you are out of it."

2. Defenseman Michael Del Zotto will play Thursday after sitting out six games with an upper-body injury. "He looks good," Flyers coach Craig Berube said after practice. "He looks ready." Berube says the Flyers really missed Del Zotto, who has nine goals and 26 points in 54 games. "He's a guy who plays 20-plus minutes. He's done everything for us this year, defensively (and) offensively. He adds a different element in his attack."

3. Del Zotto says the media got it wrong reporting his injury was to his right foot, which was struck on a slapshot by Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg in the first period of the Flyers' game in Boston on March 7. The injury "was earlier that shift." Del Zotto said. "That shot (by Seidenberg) hit my skate blade. I didn't feel anything. I was confused that people were asking if it was my foot." How did he get hurt? "It was a weird play. I just turned a certain way." And? "Upper-body injury."

4. Flyers winger/new father Matt Read, who is with his wife and newborn baby back in Philadelphia, is expected to miss a second game on Thursday and return for Saturday's game in Edmonton.

5. Read's absence Thursday assures that rookie center Nick Cousins will remain in the lineup after delivering an impressive NHL debut Tuesday in Vancouver. "He showed me a lot," Berube said. "I liked his game a lot ... against a fast team, against a good team in their building." If Read and Cousins both play in Edmonton, Vincent Lecavalier likely will be the odd-man out again.

Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com Philadelphia Sports on Facebook.