Flyers have been sputtering

Forget the Broad Street Bullies, the Broad Street Follies have come to town.

One day the Philadelphia Flyers are the worst team in the NHL, the next they are giving lessons in humility to the Ducks, the top team in the league.

This, obviously, is not the act that Peter Forsberg signed on to headline. But it’s the one he has been cast in as leading man. When he came to the Philadelphia Flyers last season, predictions followed that the team could win its first Stanley Cup since Gerald Ford was president.

Ford is now 93, but the Flyers are the ones who have looked ancient.

General Manager Bobby Clarke and Coach Ken Hitchcock are already out the door, the team has won only four games in what is the worst start in franchise history and Forsberg shuttles between doctor visits for his ankle and media drop-bys about his future.

“It’s an organization that doesn’t accept losing,” Forsberg said. “Definitely, we’ve been hearing it. It’s been a tough stretch. We haven’t played well, we know that. But it’s something we can change.”

This, though, may be chronic, like Forsberg’s right ankle, which still gives him trouble after off-season surgery. The Flyers had a six-game losing streak before beating the Ducks on Wednesday, their longest such streak since the 1993-94 season, the last time they missed the playoffs.

Forsberg saw a specialist in Cleveland this week and skated on his own, sharing ice with a group of athletes that some have joked were tougher than the Flyers -- figure skaters.

And while Forsberg will wear a special insole to prevent his ankle from rolling and stretching, the Flyers have yet to come up with anything to prevent them from rolling over for opponents.

Their power play has been “brutal,” according to Forsberg. Their defense is ponderous in the obstruction-free NHL. Their determination suspect, “we get behind and we don’t stick to the game plan. That leads to bad things,” Forsberg said.

All of those elements are reflected in the Flyers’ 4-12-2 record heading into tonight’s game against the Kings.

It has been a rapid tumble. Clarke and Hitchcock were gone eight games into the season. After that the Flyers reportedly discussed trading Forsberg, who is in the last year of a two-year, $11.5-million contract.

“That always happens when you go bad,” said the 33-year-old center, who Wednesday brushed aside any question about retirement.

Forsberg has never missed the Stanley Cup playoffs, nor has he been on an NHL team that finished with a losing record.

The trade chatter heated up so much that team President Peter Luukko said last week, “Our plan has been and remains to re-sign Peter Forsberg.”

That sort of damage control statement was unthinkable when the Flyers made a post-lockout splash by signing Forsberg, who was considered the best all-round player in the NHL before injuries took their toll.

The Flyers started 11-4-1 last season as Forsberg teamed with Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble to form one of the most lethal lines in the NHL -- 33 goals and 74 points through 16 games. This season, the three had 17 goals and 29 points through 16 games. But the woeful start cannot be entirely blamed on them. The defense and goaltending has given up 3.9 goals a game this season, second-most in the NHL.

None of that, Forsberg said, is beyond repair. “It’s always frustrating when you’re not winning, of course. You like winning. Winning makes it fun. I’ve been in the league a long time, you keep working hard, you’ll be able to get something out of it.”

chris.foster@latimes.com