Young Flyers Denver Barkey and Alex Bump feel the heat of big games, but they’ve been in them before

DETROIT ― The Flyers entered Thursday’s matchup against the Red Wings with four games remaining, a two-point lead for a playoff spot, and the hopes and dreams of the faithful.

That’s a lot to put on the shoulders of a roster littered with forwards under the age of 25. But while they may have 54 NHL games between them, Denver Barkey and Alex Bump were built for these moments.

“The other day I said to [Barkey], you’ve played big games. You won a Memorial Cup. That’s a big game they won. I actually watched the game,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. “I get it. It’s the NHL. It’s a big game [the Memorial Cup], you should have the same mentality, same confidence.

“So, yeah, the young guys, that’s why you just keep on preaching you’ve been in these situations before. I know the spotlight’s a little higher because [it’s] the NHL, but still, the preparation’s the same.”

Barkey didn’t just win a Memorial Cup, the Canadian Hockey League’s championship, on June 1 with London of the Ontario Hockey League — he was the captain. Less than two months earlier, Bump scored the game-winner in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference championship game before helping Western Michigan win its first NCAA championship.

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“Obviously, those are really meaningful games, so I think it kind of just builds up to this,” Bump, 22, said of the 2025 Frozen Four. “That rink in St. Louis was sold out at both games. I’m used to playing [in front of] big crowds now, and I think that’s just kind of one of the things to get used to. But yeah, obviously, I’ve played in these kinds of games.”

The Flyers are hoping to reach the postseason for the first time since 2020, when games were played in a Canadian bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic, and play for the first time in front of Philly fans since 2018. Playoff games are notoriously tense, featuring high-intensity, high-speed, and high-stakes action in which every moment can affect the outcome. The 20-year-old Barkey, an NHL player since late December, has seen the intensity rise in the last five to 10 games. After all, the Orange and Black have pretty much been playing playoff games since the Olympic break.

“It’s obviously great for us young guys to go through this and see what these games are like and be a part of them, and learn what it takes, and know what it takes to make the playoffs,” said Barkey, who mentioned that he, Bump, and 19-year-old rookie Porter Martone have spoken about these big games and what the future could hold.

“Being in the playoff spot or potentially playing the playoffs is really exciting,” Barkey said. “You can see how excited everyone is, from the fans to all the guys on the team and everyone. It’s exciting. So it makes you look forward to things but also kind of continues to motivate you to push for more.”

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More could be coming, and the players notice that Flyers fans travel far and wide. They could hear them, especially in New Jersey on Tuesday, the start of the final road trip of the regular season.

“I think just by each game, it gets more meaningful,” Bump said. “Obviously, we’re getting down to the ropes here. So, you can tell for sure about just the intensity and even, like, the crowd, the atmosphere. They even know it’s a big game, so you can feed off of that as well.”

Tocchet is liking what he is seeing from Bump and Barkey.

Bump, who hails from Minnesota, has four goals and eight points in 15 games. He was a healthy scratch for two games, on March 31 and April 2, but has responded, with the bench boss speaking highly about his play in his return against the New York Islanders last Friday.

Now playing with Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov, it brings a new dynamic: Michkov, the creative winger, and Bump, the sniper. Tocchet likes that line, which may be facing the opposition’s third defensive pair and can take advantage of that.

“Obviously an awesome player,” Bump said of Michkov. “You can make any play, try and give him the puck, stay connected with him. ... He’s really creative, so you have to read off him. He’s outstanding. Great kid, too. So it’s been fun to play with him.”

Barkey returned to the lineup Tuesday after sitting for a pair of games and is skating with veterans Sean Couturier and Luke Glendening. He has five goals and 14 points in 39 games this season.

“Denver, he can carry the puck. He’s a transporter. So it’s kind of good for that line,” Tocchet said.

“I told him to be around those guys. Those guys are good corner guys, but if Denver picks up loose pucks, he’s so nifty, he gets out of the corners [and] he can make plays. So, right now, if he can stay in the lineup, he’s going to play that position, but you never know — injuries, things like that, you can move up and down the lineup. You just want to be part of a puzzle right now.”

Dan Vladař (27-13-7, .907 save percentage) will start in goal against the Red Wings. He was in net for the 5-3 win in Detroit on March 28. ... Based on lines and who stayed out late for extra work at Little Caesars Arena, it should be the same group as Tuesday’s win against the Devils.