Cole injured in pick-up soccer game

PHILADELPHIA -- A night after Scott Walker partially collapsed on the ice as he skated to the bench, the Carolina Hurricanes lost Erik Cole without him so much as lacing up a skate.

Cole was a late scratch for Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers after injuring a foot while playing soccer before the game. Cole is definitely out for Monday's game against the Vancouver Canucks and doubtful for Carolina's other three games this week.

With Walker and Andrew Ladd already out, the Hurricanes were down to 10 forwards and dressed only 17 skaters against the Flyers.

"It's one of those unforeseen issues that come up before a game," coach Peter Laviolette said. "No excuses. A lot of times, you see teams just kind of roll over in these circumstances. ... It was the opposite. It was a gutsy performance."

As for Walker, though X-rays and a CT scan on his chest revealed no damage Friday night, he remains in considerable pain, general manager Jim Rutherford said Saturday.

"It's his rib area, but we couldn't find anything so we suspect it's cartilage or something like that," Rutherford said. "We waited for him for about an hour, and he did fly to Philadelphia with us, but he's in a lot of pain and probably will be for the next three to four days. At that point, maybe we'll have a better idea what it is."

Rutherford confirmed Walker originally was injured when Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu tumbled over him next to the Carolina net in the first period of Friday's 4-3 shootout loss and was struggling to breathe when he fell to his knees in front of the Carolina bench late in the second period.

Walker was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital, examined and released.

With Ladd not on the trip and out for at least another week after reinjuring his sprained ankle in practice Thursday, Rutherford said before Cole's injury Saturday that he planned to recall a forward from Albany (AHL) before Monday's game.

As it turned out, the Canes needed reinforcements earlier than that.

David Tanabe returned to the lineup Saturday as a seventh defenseman, though he never left the bench in the third period.

Dennis Seidenberg was a healthy scratch, although the knee he sprained a week ago remains an issue.

SNAKEBIT: John Grahame is 0-1-1 this season despite giving up five goals on 63 shots.

Saturday was his second start, with both coming in the second half of back-to-backs.

"I've been happy with the performances, but in the end it's still not good enough," Grahame said. "When you're in there, whenever it's your turn to play, you have to get the job done."

NEW LEADER: With two assists Friday, Rod Brind'Amour passed Jeff O'Neill and became the franchise's leading scorer since the team moved to North Carolina in 1997.

Brind'Amour has 360 points. Ron Francis is third with 354.

Brind'Amour and Justin Williams extended their scoring streaks to five games Saturday. Matt Cullen's ended at four.