Yesterday at practice in Voorhees, Jody Shelley took a puck off the face. He stormed off the ice, furious, into the locker room. That's the last time he'll see practice or game action for some time, it turns out, as the Flyers announced this morning that he'll need surgery to fix the orbital bone around his left eye.

He'll be out four weeks after Thursday's surgery, which would put his return around April 21. 

Let's be real about it: Shelley isn't likely to see much playoff time anyway, and this injury eliminates most of that possibility. April 19 is likely to be right around Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, and it's unlikely that Peter Laviolette would throw in a tough guy in the middle of a series like that. If the Flyers move on, it's clear that what was on the ice in the first round worked, so why would they throw in Shelley for the second round?

In reality, as long as there are no other injuries, Shelley's surgery could very well end his season in terms of game action, and it could even mean that Nikolay Zherdev sees the ice again. Maybe.