Matvei Michkov wasted no time making his preseason statement.
In his first game action of the exhibition slate Thursday night against the Boston Bruins, the 21-year-old winger looked fast, assertive and constantly involved, and he capped that opening burst by jumping out of the penalty box and turning a cleared puck into the Flyers’ first goal of the night.
It started with Philadelphia taking a too many men on the ice penalty early in the game, with Michkov sent to serve it. Once Boston’s two-minute power play ended and the puck was cleared out of the Flyers’ zone, Michkov exploded out of the box, won the race across center ice and tracked the puck down in the corner. From there, he coasted behind the net, briefly lifted the puck onto his stick to flash the threat of a Michigan, then reset the play and helped the Flyers get into their offensive cycle.
The sequence stayed alive at the blue line with Helge Grans, whose shot created the chance. Porter Martone’s presence in front helped the puck land right where it needed to at the top of the crease, and Michkov finished it off for the goal.
That was just the beginning. Michkov kept driving play after the opener, jumping right back into a Philadelphia attack and cutting through the middle to the crease to keep pressure on Boston. Later, he carried the puck through the left side on an offensive-zone entry and slid a sharp pass to Trevor Zegras, who had established position by the left post of Bruins goalie Rick DiPietro in search of a jam play.
He was just as effective in the grind of the game, too. Late in the first period, Michkov fought for a puck in the corner, beat Bruins defenseman Billy Sweezey to it and used his body to shield possession.
Sweezey is listed at 6'1" and 201 pounds, while Michkov came back to Philly this summer listed at 172 pounds. Even so, Michkov looked stronger in that moment and, more often than not, like the best player on the ice.
The Flyers, using a largely NHL lineup less than a week before Game 1 of 84, beat a mostly reserve Bruins roster 2-0 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Michkov’s offseason work has been a major talking point at camp in Voorhees, where he arrived looking leaner, quicker and ready to begin taking interviews in English. That work showed up immediately in his preseason debut, and his coach noticed.
"It was really nice to see," head coach Rick Tocchet said after the game.
Michkov had more chances still. He continued attacking around the Boston net into the third period and nearly added another when a shot missed off the far post. By the time the night was over, he had logged 18:16 of ice time, second only to Zegras among Flyers forwards at 18:30.
Last week in Voorhees, Michkov said in English for the first time that the weight loss had changed how he felt on the ice. "I think this is so good for me," Michkov said.
"I feel, right now, lighter on the ice...every skill has more speed, you know? Better speed."
On Thursday, he played like it.
In Other News...
Flyers Are Still Chasing The Impact Forward This Roster Needs
The Flyers are still in the market for the kind of forward who can change the shape of a roster, with Dave Pagnotta saying on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio that the club remains interested in adding a star-caliber piece. Philadelphia has the cap room to work with and enough young talent it believes can keep growing, which gives the front office some flexibility as it keeps looking for ways to push the team closer to playoff status.
And this is not a case of a team passively waiting for the market to break its way. The Flyers have already shown a willingness to take a swing for a bigger-name addition, and the pursuit of impact help is still very much part of the plan. For a club trying to speed up its timeline, the search for that difference-making forward remains one of the more important storylines around the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Suddenly Have Two Injury Questions Right Before Opening Night
The Flyers are heading into the final stretch of the preseason with a couple of health questions hanging over the roster. Goalie Dan Vladar left Tuesdays exhibition game after taking an upper-body injury, and the team is still sorting out what it means as opening night gets closer. On a club that already knows how quickly goalie depth can matter, any uncertainty there is worth watching.
Denver Barkey added another concern when he left practice early after dealing with a lower-body injury, putting his status in doubt for the preseason finale and maybe even the opener. Philadelphia is monitoring both players as the regular season approaches, and with the calendar tightening, the next few days could say a lot about how much lineup flexibility the Flyers will have when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Preseason Test Could Start Sorting Out Key Roster Battles
A mostly NHL Flyers lineup gets a useful preseason stress test against the Bruins, and for a team still sorting out the edges of its roster, these are the kinds of games that matter. Philadelphia will be without injured Dan Vladar and Denver Barkey, but the lineup still has plenty of names worth tracking, with Cole Knuble, Jett Luchanko, Matvei Michkov and Nikita Grebenkin all expected to be in the mix.
The night also carries a little extra weight in goal, where Joseph Woll is set for his first full game with the Flyers. Grebenkins return adds another layer of intrigue after his injury absence, giving the coaching staff another look at a player who has been out of game action since March 21 of last season. For a preseason meeting, there is more than enough here to start separating who is pushing for jobs and who still has more work to do. [Read more 🡒]