Having your No. 1 goaltender get hurt in a regular-season game is a bad thing.
But losing him to injury in a meaningless preseason game can give a team a real headache.
Such was the case in Boston on Tuesday night when Flyers netminder Dan Vladar had to leave the game at 6:29 of the first period just as the Boston Bruins were scoring the contest’s first goal (by Mikey Eyssimont) at TD Garden.
Vladar, seeing his first action of the preseason, was scheduled to play the first two periods of this game.
But an injury to his right arm sent the Czech goaltender to the medical room for treatment.
Replays showed Vladar’s arm made contact with the skate of Bruins forward Tanner Jeannot.
Aleksei Kolosov, who was slated to play the third period, entered the game to replace Vladar after the incident.
Kolosov was in goal the rest of the way as the Flyers dropped a 5-1 decision, leaving them 0-2 in the preseason. Morgan Geekie scored the winner 5:19 into the third period with a power-play goal which broke a 1-1 tie. Boston added three more after that to put the game out of reach.
The Bruins used a lot of their regulars while the Flyers went with a number of their younger players.
After the Bruins initially scored, the Flyers’ Jacob Gaucher countered at 18:06 on a nice rush to the net and a shot past Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman. But that was all the offense Philly could muster.
>Similar lineup
“Most of the guys who played last night (in Hershey vs. Washington) are playing tonight,” coach Rick Tocchet said after the morning skate at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J. “It’s a good test.
>Barkey injury update
Tocchet gave a somewhat upbeat injury update on Denver Barkey, who was injured (lower body) in the first period of Monday night’s preseason game against Washington at the GIANT Center in Hershey.
Barkey got banged up on a hit from Washington’s Martin Fehervary with just under five minutes left in the first.
“Right now it’s day-to-day,” Tocchet said. “I don’t think it’s serious.”
Barkey did attempt to come out to play for the start of the second period but then called it a night.
If Barkey is out for an extended period of time, several players could fill that vacancy, including Jett Luchanko, Jack Studnicka or Zach Aston-Reese.
>York looks sharp
Defenseman Cam York is becoming a leader on the Flyers and Tocchet likes what he’s seen of him so far.
“He came into camp in a good mental frame, good physical condition,” Tocchet said. “Same thing like last year. He wants to improve on offense but he doesn’t want to sacrifice his defense.”
>How many defensemen on roster?
The Flyers have to decide if they want to carry seven or eight defensemen on their active roster.
Tocchet sounds like he would like to have eight but it’s not really a practical number.
Ultimately, general manager Daniel Briere will have final say.
It’s a fairly big deal because you have a number of talented players pushing that vacant No. 6 spot, including David Jiricek, Oliver Bonk and Ty Murchison.
“We have to sit down with Danny,” Tocchet confirmed. “I personally like eight for practice. Unfortunately it doesn’t work out that way. I think last year we had seven. I wish we had eight and 13 (forwards) but we can’t. So we have to make some decisions here.”
As for Murchison, he got into three games for the Flyers last season. At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, he can make life tough for opposing forwards.
Murchison got injured in a fight last season and the problem required shoulder surgery. But he says he’s ready to go back at it again.
“I know my role, just trying to get back into that, playing physical, playing quick,” he said. “Getting up the ice fast. The way I play is physical, it’s in your face. I’ve just been trying to get back to that. I think that’s part of the Flyers’ brand
>Short shots
With a goal and an assist, Cole Knuble was the only Flyers with multiple points in the Washington game at Hershey, won by the Capitals, 5-2.
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