What a start for the Flyers!  They’ve improved their record to 3-0 to start the season.  Last night they beat the Washington Capitals 6-5 in overtime thanks to a Daniel Briere game-winning goal on his 32nd birthday.  Mike Richards had a hat trick in the game, the second hat trick of his career.  What a game! Check out the highlights.

More on this story soon.  I’m pretty stunned.  I was sure that if Forsberg would return this season, it would be for the Flyers (they are still ahead of the Avalanche in the standings).  I would say the 10-game losing streak and the recent injuries to Gagne and Richards were serious factors.  He would have been great to fill that void.  Imagine Forsberg with a healthy Gagne, Richards, and Hatcher/Rathje.  Typical heartbreak for Philly sports.

Forsberg skunks Flyers, signs with Colorado [Philadelphia Inquirer]

The good news: Flyers break 10-game skid in a shootout victory over the Sabres 4-3.  Thank you Briere.  Here is a video of some fisticuffs thrown during the game.

To celebrate the snap of the losing streak, here are some new Flyers wallpapers:

• Simon Gagne
• Mike Richards
• Eric Lindros
• Peter Forsberg (even through he skunked us!)

From Yahoo:

The Philadelphia Flyers can’t catch a break. After having their losing streak reach a franchise-record 10 games with a 2-1 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday, the Flyers learned that All-Star center Mike Richards suffered a torn left hamstring in the third period. After the game, Philadelphia general manager Paul Holmgren said Richards will be sidelined at least three weeks.

At least the Flyers still know how to hit, check out this nasty hit Scottie Upshall laid on the Panthers.  Losing 10 games must really get him pissed off.

My playoff hopes have now been officially crushed.  If the Flyers can’t even win a game with Richards in the lineup, I wonder how long their losing streak will continue without him.  If the Sixers and Flyers could swap records from their last 10 games, that would be perfect.  But no, the Sixers keep winning games.  They are currently 8th in the East and poised to get embarrassed by Boston or Detroit if they keep things up.  Hopefully, these teams’ success can reverse, so the Flyers can sneak into the playoffs and the Sixers get more ping-pong balls so the prayers of Sixers fans can be answered by miraculously landing Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose.