NHL Winter Classic 2012: What Does Jaromir Jagr's Injury Mean for the Flyers?

Coming into the NHL Winter Classic 2012 the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers were tied for the Atlantic Division lead in the Eastern Conference. 

The Flyers lost more than just one game and the lead in the division.  The Flyers also lost an aging key player on their team, Jaromir Jagr, to injury.

At age 39, injuries don't heal as quickly and tend to reoccur more frequently as well. 

Jagr is third on the team in points, plays the power play and is a scoring threat every time he is on the ice. 

Not only is the depth on the Flyers stretched, but one of the few Flyers who represents a danger to opposing defenses is not in the lineup.

A calf injury in hockey is about as bad as a wrist injury in bowling. Even if Jagr doesn't miss significant time this type of injury could severely limit his efficacy on the ice. 

The swift return from the calf injury will not only keep the Flyers in the chase for the top slot in the Atlantic Division but also help to justify the complete overhaul of the roster in this past offseason.

If the injury turns from "day-to-day" to "day-to-day-to-day-to-day" the Flyers will certainly nose dive from where they are now to the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.