We’ll make this one pretty simple.

The Flyers need to win tonight. Or you can prepare yourself for another season without a championship in Philadelphia.

Sure, they could still win Thursday night to prolong the agony. But the reality is that, down 2-0 in their series against the Penguins, they need to reverse their losing trend, starting tonight.

To make their uphill climb just that much steeper, they likely will take the ice at the Wachovia Center tonight without their two best defensemen.

First they lost Kimmo Timonen to a blood clot in his ankle. Then, just a few minutes into Sunday night’s tilt in Pittsburgh, Braydon Coburn had the misfortune to be the latest ghoulish incident that haunts anyone who has ever laced up a pair of skates.

He took a puck in the face. Coburn never saw it coming. Now he can barely see at all. A slap shot from the point was redirected and caught Coburn square in the forehead, just over his eye. Fifty stitches later, the Flyers are trying to stitch together their tattered chances against the Pens.

Maybe the fans, and a little ‘God Bless America’ karma can lift the Flyers tonight. Or maybe Coburn will make like Willis Reed and make a dramatic appearance on the ice.

Whatever, the Flyers need to win. Or else. It says here that if they go down 3-0, you can stick a form in them, let alone a puck.