Denver Barkey's night ended early Monday, and that's the real story out of Philadelphia's 5-2 preseason opening loss to Washington.
Barkey took the opening shift of the second period before quickly leaving the game and never returning.
He appeared to be in discomfort after taking a hit along the boards from Martin Fehervary with about four and a half minutes left in the first period.
Head coach Rick Tocchet had no update on Barkey's condition after the game, calling it a lower-body injury.
That's a real concern given where Barkey stood heading into camp. He posted 17 points in 43 games last season and entered training camp poised for a season-opening lineup spot.
He was Philadelphia's first-line center Monday night, playing between Zach Aston-Reese and Porter Martone before exiting.
Philadelphia iced a lineup missing most of its regulars for this game, making Barkey's specific absence even more costly given how thin the roster already was on the ice.
Why the rest of the game still offered real answers
Jack Studnicka and Cole Knuble scored Philadelphia's two goals, with Tocchet singling out both afterward. "Studnicka was skating well. A couple of guys like that caught my eye," Tocchet said.
Knuble, a 2023 fourth-round pick the organization has been raving about, delivered a multi-point game and continues rising through Philadelphia's system heading into his first full pro season.
New backup goaltender Joseph Woll stopped 16 of 19 shots across two periods in his Flyers preseason debut.
"He can carry the load and he's an intelligent goalie," Tocchet said. "Even just on the puck handles, he's going to help our goalie handles tremendously."
Dylan Strome scored Washington's go-ahead goal after a poor Flyers line change, and Ryan Leonard added a goal of his own with 41 seconds left in the first period.
None of Philadelphia's defensemen separated themselves in the sixth spot battle, with Simon Benoit, David Jiricek, and Oliver Bonk all still competing for that job.
Philadelphia has three preseason games left before opening the regular season next Wednesday, and Barkey's status is the one storyline that carries real weight beyond the final score.
Will Denver Barkey's injury cost him a spot in the Flyers' opening night lineup?
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