Daniel Vladar left the Flyers' 5-1 preseason loss in Boston last night, and Philadelphia is now waiting on an MRI that could reshape its crease.
He got the start and lasted 13:31 before exiting. He'd stopped six of the seven shots he faced.
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Then the night got worse. Aleksei Kolosov came on in relief and gave up four goals on 18 shots, taking the loss.
Dr. Harjas Grewal flagged the concern on X shortly after the injury: a shoulder dislocation or subluxation, which is a partial dislocation.
His timeline split is brutal. If Vladar can rehab it, Grewal called it week-to-week. If surgery is needed, he's looking at four to six months or longer.
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It's the hockey version of waiting on a mechanic's call. One answer is a new belt, the other means the engine comes out and the car sits until spring.
Grewal said an MRI combined with an exam was set for today to determine the plan. Until that comes back, Rick Tocchet's staff is planning around a question mark.
Aleksei Kolosov relief shift exposes Flyers depth in net
Here's the uncomfortable part. Nothing about last night suggests the Flyers can comfortably absorb a long absence in goal.
Kolosov was on the ice for 46:29 of that game, and Boston kept finding the back of the net. If the MRI comes back ugly, Daniel Briere should be working the phones.
At the other end, Jeremy Swayman went the full 60 and turned aside 20 of 21. The gap between the two creases was hard to miss.
Boston didn't need anything fancy. Morgan Geekie's power-play goal stood as the winner, and Michael Eyssimont chipped in two goals from the bottom six.
Philadelphia's lone answer came from Jacob Gaucher, with Jett Luchanko and Nick Seeler picking up the assists. It was a thin night offensively.
The Flyers are now 0-2 this preseason after dropping a 5-2 decision to Washington on Monday. Two games, two losses, and now a medical scare.
And there's no time to regroup. The Bruins visit Philadelphia on Thursday, and the regular season opens September 30 at home against Pittsburgh.
That's one week to figure out who's standing in the crease on opening night. Does Tocchet get a goalie back soon, or does he get a months-long problem?
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Should the Flyers trade for a veteran goalie before opening night if Daniel Vladar needs surgery?
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