The Foot Is Back

Peter Forsberg has agreed to come back with... Colorado?

Peter obviously has a lot of loyalty to that organization, but the decision is disappointing nonetheless. The Flyers are closer to the playoffs than Colorado, and if he were on this team, I think they would be a better shot to win the Cup than the Avalanche.

I'm surprised he's actually coming back, and I'm surprised it's not with the Flyers.

He's... not coming back?

That's why TSN is reporting.

I can't believe it. Everything looked like it was going so well, but if his foot's not right, it's not right.

This is a huge blow for the Flyers. I don't know if they were "counting" on him, but they definitely knew Forsberg coming back would bolster the lineup. With the way the injuries look now, I'm not sure where the spark is going to come from.

Hopefully for the NHL, Forsberg gives it another shot this offseason. He's always said that if he doesn't come back now he's done forever, but maybe he's still open to coming back later, since he was hoping for a multi-year deal. Every time he stepped on the ice he was probably the most talented guy out there, and it's a shame if he's retiring.

I Can't Believe I Have To Do This

If you pay attention to the labels I put on each post, you'll see I often include key team and player names from the entry. Why? I don't know. How often am I going to have to use Ahmad Bradshaw and John Kerry labels? Am I ever going to talk about John Kerry again? Probably not. The fact that I have to use a label for the same NHL official twice in one month is an embarrassment to hockey, but maybe that's what the game has become.

The officials were at it again last night. I'm not sure if it helps them remember the days when they played hockey or something, but they're convinced they need to be a part of the game. They're not policing it and making things run smoothly, they believe they need to have an influence on the game. Honestly, with efforts last night, the players might as well not be on the ice.

First of all, the game was called in favor of the Canadiens. Yes, I'm whining about the officiating again. It sucked. Every time the Flyers got some momentum, that arm went up and Hartnell was off to the box for breathing or Jones was off for farting. There were bad calls and no calls for both sides, and it was just inexcusable. How much of the game was played on special teams? Power plays and goals are exciting, but I want to see physical, 5 on 5 hockey. That's fun too. Why is an official from Montreal allowed to be in charge of a Montreal game? Who do you think he cheered for when he was growing up?

And then it happened again. Dave Jackson screwed everything up again. The dude might be the best goaltender in the league against the Flyers, and that's saying something, because there's a lot that shut them down. I don't know if he blew the whistle early or thought about blowing it early or pretended someone touched Carey Price, but he blew another call. I feel embarrassed for him. He consistently makes the same lousy mistake, and he consistently costs the Flyers goals and points. I feel embarrassed for the NHL. How can they seriously review his games, see how poorly he handles close calls and then pat him on the ass and then send him back on the ice for another game? He has a problem, and it needs to be corrected.

Basically, the Flyers were jamming at the puck and got it across the goal line. However, there was a lot of traffic around the net, so it's tough for Jackson to focus in on the puck. He might've been looking for more penalties to call, but either way, he missed the puck crossing the line. Just look at the players' body language. The Flyers were celebrating. Carey Price quickly fell on top of it in the net and carried it out to try and cover it up. One problem: the red light didn't go on. Another problem: they didn't even review it! How can you not review such a close play in such a critical moment? These are two playoff teams here! You already screwed up the call once, but I think every Flyers fan would appreciate it if you at least left the door open for someone else to screw it up in the "War Room".

I have to give credit to Carey Price though. The dude has a .50 GAA against the Flyers so far in his career, and he just stops everything that's thrown on net. He played great last night, and I wish he wasn't back in net tonight. This guy is going to be a thorn in the ass for who knows how long. He's so young.

As for the game tonight, the Flyers need to do some of the things they did last night. The bounces didn't go their way, but hopefully, there's a new officiating crew on the ice and the Flyers can catch some breaks. It's tough to lose another game where you play your best hockey and weeks and it's not good enough. Hatcher and Coburn might be back, and that could be huge. Put up the Foppa-Signal, Paul. This team needs a spark.

He's Back...? Remix

All of the signs are pointing to it. I don't want to call it official, but I'm going to be very shocked if it doesn't happen. I've felt this way all along, and it's only a matter of time before it gets done. The Bionic Man will be a Flyer again.

Think about it:

- Holmgren's "secret" scouting trip to Sweden. The Flyers kept that under wraps for about five minutes.

- Forsberg always maintaing he loved Philadelphia and felt like he owes the team something.

- His great relationships with current Flyers such as Gagne and Scott Hartnell.

- Naslund's comments about how he's returning to a former team, with Nashville being ruled out.

- Gagne's "joke" about Forsberg trying to decide which number to wear since Jason Smith has #21.

- The Flyers ordering special equipment for skates and ankle/foot health.

Again, it's not a sure thing yet. I'm not Mark Eckel. Peter Forsberg may not be a Flyer by the time you wake up in the morning. LeCharles Bentley likely won't be either. However, when it's all said and done, I think Forsberg will be a Flyer, and it's going to take some press conference shenanigans coaching from Kevin Jones or Antonio Logan-El for us to be fooled.

Take it for what it's worth. Likely not much.

Eklund Gives Me Something To Talk About

Updating us on the status of Forsberg:

"Forsberg: "Really feeling well and looking full of life," I was told this morning in an email from Sweden. And I am also hearing that Philly is 80% his destination. Foppa felt like Philly treated him very well, there is unfinished buisiness, and he also made some strong relationships in the area. It should also be noted that Scott Hartnell and Forsberg were very close during his time in Nashville."

This is something I've assumed would happen all along. If he's feeling good, he's going to come back to Philadelphia to redeem himself for his two oft-injured seasons here. He likes the team, he likes the players, it just makes a lot of sense.

Some Wednesday Evening Flyers Notes

First, Chuck Gormley on The Sporting News, US style.

Peter Forsberg says his foot is feeling good after a couple days of skating. It's still too early to tell, but if he can continue skating and maybe play for Team Sweden in the LG Games, he could be looking at an NHL return. If he does, my money is on the Flyers landing him. Forsberg has a lot of pride, and I think he feels like he owes the organization something. The Flyers aren't exactly weak on the power play, which is one of Forsberg's greatest strengths, but any time you can add talent, you do it.

Paul Holmgren talks about the deadline and offseason, courtesy of the Courier Post.

A few of the key points from it include:

- Shooting down the ridiculous Carter/first round draft pick for Sundin rumor.

- He will try to re-sign free agents Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger and Jason Smith.

- The Flyers could be players come the deadline because they have as good of a chance as anyone to win the conference.

I'm sure I'm going to say this many times in the coming months, but there's no reason to trade Carter and a pick for a rental. This team is young and talented. There's a great core of guys here, and there's no reason to break that up for someone like Sundin. It's not worth it.

Some people worry about cap room in regards to signing players like Carter and Umberger, but I'm not concerned about it. Holmgren is confident there will be enough wiggle room to get it done, and there's no reason not to believe him. I think Smith is expendable. He's a great leader and does a great job for standing up for his teammates on the ice, but there's plenty of leadership on this team, and he logs the fewest minutes of any of our defensemen.