Lost in the disappointment of Thursday’s loss, Matvei Michkov played one of his better games of the season.
“I think he’s tired mentally, and once that clears up, I think he’ll be more free-flowing.” That’s what Flyers head coach John Tortorella had to say about Michkov less than 10 hours before puck drop. Well, he had that type of “free-flowing” game. Tortorella was talking about.
A short-winded Tortorella said, “Yeah, he played really well,” postgame when asked if this was one of the better games he has seen from the rookie.
Michkov tallied his second most on-ice-time of the season with 19 minutes flat and scored two goals in his big night against Washington.
Despite his great night, the Flyers’ budding star was still not happy.
“Unfortunately, we could not get the win today,” Michkov said via translator Slava Kuznetsov. “There’s stuff to improve still, and then those goals in the future should help him (Michkov) and the team to win.”
Despite the 20-year-old star’s impressive game, Michkov was not caught up in his own performance. He is focused on the Flyers’ future.
The Flyers have now lost five straight and will face a cross-state rival to avoid taking a losing skid into an extended break.
Michkov did get a huge weight off his shoulders, ending a seven-game scoreless drought. That should help Michkov find the scoring he is looking for down the line.
Michkov’s linemates played a significant role in his success Thursday night. Rodrigo Abols joined Flyers’ captain Sean Couturier on a line with Michkov. The line generated a handful of great opportunities Thursday night, but more importantly, Abols and Michkov generated some chemistry as linemates.
Before the game, Tortorella discussed the importance of finding a linemate for Michkov to help him elevate his game. “I think we need to find, and we haven’t yet found someone to play off of him. I think that’ll help him offensively,” said Tortorella.
Part of that chemistry is that Abols can speak Russian and communicate efficiently with Michkov during the games.
He may not be the flashiest name. However, Abols’s ability to speak fluently with the Russian rookie benefitted both players Thursday night.
“I think that helps as well when there’s a lot of communication with him, and I know what he wants and where he wants to find himself on the ice, and it helps me as well,” said Abols.
Tortorella may have found a linemate that can help push Michkov’s play to that next level.
