‘Special player’ Michkov lives up to hype in Flyers’ shootout loss at rookie game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Matvei Michkov called out to the fans and banged on the glass in celebration.
The 19-year-old top prospect had just spun the puck around the Rangers goalie for a 5-on-3 power-play goal in the second period Friday night.
And he absorbed the crowd’s reaction.
Michkov brought the fans out of their seats at the PPL Center, as advertised in his first game in orange and black. The Flyers prospects suffered a 4-3 shootout loss to the Rangers prospects in the first of two rookie games this weekend at the home of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
The Flyers took their only lead at 2-1 on Michkov’s goal. With the Flyers’ net empty and 14.4 seconds left in regulation, Massimo Rizzo forced overtime.
Only Rangers Brennan Othmann scored in the skills competition. Michkov, JR Avon and Jett Luchanko were disallowed for the Flyers.
• The Flyers management and coaching staff watched the game upstairs in the executive suite. They must have been pleased with what they saw from Michkov.
What stood out the most was how he accepted being double-crossed by Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere in the third period. Michkov was at his best when the game got longer and tougher.
“He’s a special player and it shows,” said Laperrière, who runs the Flyers’ rookie camp.
At one point in the third period, Michkov lived with the puck behind the net, fending off a defender and then showing his creativity.
“Everybody likes to play a lot, but he’s in great shape, so he can handle it,” Laperrière said. “He’s made plays on the power play, at 5-on-5, plays out of nothing. It’s a special gift he has.”
“Just having him on the bench is fun because you can see he loves the game. He wants to be on the pitch and he’s been on the pitch quite a bit.”
On Michkov’s power-play goal, Rizzo found Luchanko, who quickly fed the Russian winger on the doorstep. With little space, Michkov and his hands went to work. He found a way to squeeze the puck past the Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand.
“He’s 19, we can’t forget that,” Laperrière said. “I know there’s a huge buzz around him, in the league, not just in Philadelphia. But he’s handling the situation very well.”
Michkov’s mother Maria and his younger brother Prohor attended the game with the Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula.
“I’m happy because my family got to see my first goal,” Michkov said, with Zamula as interpreter. “This goal was for my family.”
• Luchanko was everywhere.
His speed was evident, but the 2024 first-round pick did more than just fly up and down the ice. He won faceoffs, protected the puck and played in all situations.
When the 18-year-old center had the puck in the offensive zone, he kept it there.
“He’s a kid that impressed me a lot,” Laperrière said. “Just the maturity of his game – great on faceoffs, good on the penalty kill, good on the power play. I’m really excited about his future, for sure.”
Luchanko still has some junior hockey ahead of him. He appreciated the confidence Laperrière showed him Friday night.
“That’s something I’ve always tried to do, is let the coach give me the opportunity to step aside at any time,” Luchanko said. “I’m glad he can feel that way about me.”
More: Michkov mania, Jett lives up to his name and other observations from Flyers rookie camp
• Olivier BonkThe Flyers’ 2023 first-round pick not named Michkov made some subtle but important defensive plays. He cleared the puck out of danger twice, including once in overtime.
The 19-year-old and Hunter McDonald formed the Flyers’ top defensive pair.
“It was great, he’s great,” McDonald, 22, said of Bonk. “Hopefully we can continue to build some chemistry, it was good to get that feeling back from the first game. We talked. That’s one of the things we talked about with (Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw), just talking more because it helps everybody. Just getting good opportunities, reading each other and we’ll both be effective that way.”
Oliver Bonk made two of those types of plays where he identified the puck in a dangerous area and cleared it.
He just seems like a smart player in the defensive zone who makes subtle, winning plays. pic.twitter.com/GnKGlJsBkp
— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) September 14, 2024
• Elliot Desnoyers He complemented Michkov and Luchanko well on the Flyers’ top line. He wanted to be a “dog on a bone” by getting the puck to those two. He also looked effective killing penalties.
The 22-year-old winger is ready to finish a difficult second season in the AHL, which comes after a promising first year at the professional level.
“He looked great,” Laperriere said. “He looked fast, he looked quick, he looked strong on that puck. It’s great preparation for him. It’s a big year for him – he knows that, we know that.”
Elliot Desnoyers was consistent all night and his PK work was good here. He will be a prospect to watch in Lehigh Valley, he seems motivated to have a good season last season. pic.twitter.com/rbw5TenpOs
— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) September 14, 2024
• Carson Bjarnason, the Flyers’ 2023 second-round pick, played the entire game in net and stopped 28 of 31 shots.
The Flyers shot Garand 41 times.
• Spencer Gill gave the Flyers an overtime chance with a superb defensive effort in the final minute to prevent the Rangers from sealing the game.
“It was a hell of a play to stop that empty-net goal,” Laperrière said.
The 2024 second-round defenseman assisted on the Flyers’ first goal, which was a redirection from Alexis Gendron.
• Michkov will watch the Flyers and Rangers get back to work Saturday for the second rookie game (5:05 p.m. ET).
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