‘Special player’ Michkov lives up to hype in Flyers’ rookie game shootout loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Matvei Michkov called to the fans and banged the glass in celebration.
The 19-year-old top prospect had just dangled the puck around the Rangers’ goalie in tight for a 5-on-3 power play goal during the second period Friday night.
And he soaked up the crowd’s reaction.
Michkov brought the fans out of their seats at PPL Center, looking as advertised in his first game action wearing orange and black. The Flyers’ prospects took 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 grabbed their only lead at 2-1 on Michkov’s goal. With the Flyers’ net emptied and 14.4 seconds left in regulation, Massimo Rizzo forced overtime.
Only the Rangers’ Brennan Othmann scored in the skills competition. Michkov, J.R. Avon and Jett Luchanko were denied for the Flyers.
• The Flyers’ front office brass and coaching staff watched the game upstairs in the management suite. They had to be giddy about what they saw from Michkov.
What stood out most was how he embraced being double shifted by Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere in the third period. Michkov was at his best when the game got later and tougher.
“He’s a special player and you can tell,” Laperriere, who runs the Flyers’ rookie camp, said.
At one point in the third period, Michkov lived with the puck behind the net, fending off a defenseman and then showing his creativity.
“Everybody likes to play a lot, but he’s in great shape, so he can handle it,” Laperriere said. “He made plays on the power play, 5-on-5, plays out of nothing. That’s a special gift that he has got.
“Just having him on the bench, it’s fun because you can tell he loves the game. He wants to be out there and he was out there 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 Rangers netminder Dylan Garand.
“He’s 19 years old, we can’t forget,” Laperriere said. “I know there’s a huge buzz around him — around the league, not only in Philly. But he handles it great.”
Michkov’s mother Maria and his younger brother Prohor attended the game with Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula.
“I’m happy because my family could see my first goal,” Michkov said with Zamula as his translator. “That goal was for my family.”
• Luchanko was everywhere.
His speed was evident but the 2024 first-rounder did a lot more than just fly up and down the ice. He won draws, he protected the puck and he played in all situations.
When the 18-year-old center had the puck in the offensive zone, he kept it there.
“That’s a kid that I was very impressed by,” Laperriere said. “Just by the maturity in his game — great on faceoffs, good penalty killer, good on the power play. I’m very excited about his future, that’s for sure.”
Luchanko has more junior hockey ahead of him. He appreciated the trust from Laperriere on Friday night.
“That’s something that I’ve always kind of tried to do is to let the coach be able to put me over the boards anytime,” Luchanko said. “I’m glad he can feel that way about me.”
More: Michkov mania, Jett lives up to name and other observations from Flyers rookie camp
• Oliver Bonk, the Flyers’ first-round pick from 2023 not named Michkov, made a few subtle but important defensive plays. He twice cleared the puck from a dangerous area, with one of those times coming in OT.
The 19-year-old and Hunter McDonald made up the Flyers’ top defensive pair.
“It was great, he’s awesome,” the 22-year-old McDonald said of Bonk. “Hopefully we can keep gaining some chemistry, it was good to get that first game feel. We were talking. That was one thing we talked about with [Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw], just talking more because that helps everybody. Just kind of having great gaps, read off each other and we’ll both be effective that way.”
Oliver Bonk made two of these type of plays where he identified the puck in a dangerous area and cleared it.
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 complemented Michkov and Luchanko well on the Flyers’ first line. He wanted to be a “dog on a bone” by getting those two the puck. He also looked effective killing penalties.
The 22-year-old winger is ready to flush a tough sophomore AHL season, which came after a promising first year at the pro level.
“He looked great,” Laperriere said. “He looked fast, he looked quick, he looked strong on that puck. That’s a great build-up for him. It’s a big year for him — he knows that, we know that.”
Elliot Desnoyers was steady all night and his PK work was good here. He’ll be a prospect to watch in Lehigh Valley, sounds motivated to put a down year last season in the past. pic.twitter.com/rbw5TenpOs
— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) September 14, 2024
• Carson Bjarnason, the Flyers’ 2023 second-round pick, played the full game in net and stopped 28 of 31 shots.
The Flyers put 41 shots on Garand.
• Spencer Gill gave the Flyers a chance at overtime with a great defensive effort in the final minute to keep the Rangers from sealing the game.
“That was a hell of a play to save that empty-net goal,” Laperriere said.
The 2024 second-round defenseman assisted the Flyers’ first goal, which was a redirection from Alexis Gendron.
• Michkov will watch as the Flyers and Rangers get back at it Saturday for the second rookie game (5:05 p.m. ET).
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