Superstar Peter Forsberg was absent from Tuesday night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, and it is feared that the Flyers may be without him for some time to come. Having finally returned to the lineup in Saturday's game against the Capitals, Forsberg was put right back out of the lineup by the shoulder of Alexander Ovechkin while coming across the middle in the Cap's slot late in the first period. To have this happen must be entirely frustrating for #21, and it holds the potential to be devastating for an already floundering team. The Flyers had been without their Captain for several games while he sought a pair of skates that would suitably support his surgically repaired ankles. The captain's first comments - he stated that the hit wasn't that bad (it didn't look that bad either) - were reassuring, so let's hope that his absence from the lineup is merely precautionary and doesn't lead to another Lindros/Primeau concussion scenario.

By losing to the Hurricanes 2-1, The Flyers set a franchise record with their seventh straight loss of the season. With the lack of depth on Philly's roster, Justin Williams tally at 12:41 of the 1st period particularly stung Flyers fans, as he stands as a poignant reminder of one of the regrettable moves made by former GM Bob Clarke late in his tenor. Williams, a promising young talent, was traded in January 20th,2004 for journeyman defenseman Denny Markov, who was discarded come the following offseason. Given the injuries to the defensive corps at the time, Clarke said that he was forced to part with the talented Williams despite strong reservations. While Williams totals during his last year and a half with the team made Clarke's decision a bit easier to make at the time, seeing someone they gave up on to become a 30-plus goal scorer and crucial component of a Stanley Cup winning team(with 18 points in the playoffs) last season, has been a huge factor in the franchise's continued vocal committment to giving burgeoning stars Mike Richards and Jeff Carter time to develop. One glaring mistake in this regard does not speak of a total lack of patience on Clarke's behalf. Joni Pitkanen's fortunate presence bares witness to that.

Given the state of this team it's not too much to ask of Santa that we could at least have all of our players - particularly our best players - available.

Image Credit: Flickr user Cracker Bunny