‘Particular participant' Michkov lives as much as hype in Flyers' rookie recreation shootout loss

‘Special player’ Michkov lives up to hype in Flyers’ rookie game shootout loss initially appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Matvei Michkov referred to as to the followers and banged the glass in celebration.

The 19-year-old prime prospect had simply dangled the puck across the Rangers’ goalie in tight for a 5-on-3 energy play objective through the second interval Friday night time.

And he soaked up the gang’s response.

Michkov introduced the followers out of their seats at PPL Middle, trying as marketed in his first recreation motion carrying orange and black. The Flyers’ prospects took a 4-3 shootout loss to the Rangers’ prospects within the first of two rookie video games this weekend on the house of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

The Flyers grabbed their solely lead at 2-1 on Michkov’s objective. With the Flyers’ internet emptied and 14.4 seconds left in regulation, Massimo Rizzo pressured extra time.

Solely the Rangers’ Brennan Othmann scored within the abilities competitors. Michkov, J.R. Avon and Jett Luchanko had been denied for the Flyers.

• The Flyers’ entrance workplace brass and training employees watched the sport upstairs within the administration suite. They needed to be giddy about what they noticed from Michkov.

What stood out most was how he embraced being double shifted by Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere within the third interval. Michkov was at his finest when the sport obtained later and harder.

“He is a particular participant and you may inform,” Laperriere, who runs the Flyers’ rookie camp, mentioned.

At one level within the third interval, Michkov lived with the puck behind the online, warding off a defenseman after which exhibiting his creativity.

“Everyone likes to play quite a bit, however he is in nice form, so he can deal with it,” Laperriere mentioned. “He made performs on the ability play, 5-on-5, performs out of nothing. That is a particular reward that he has obtained.

“Simply having him on the bench, it is enjoyable as a result of you may inform he loves the sport. He needs to be on the market and he was on the market fairly a bit.”

On Michkov’s energy play objective, Rizzo discovered Luchanko, who rapidly fed the Russian winger on the doorstep. With little house, Michkov and his arms went to work. He discovered a solution to squeeze the puck previous Rangers netminder Dylan Garand.

“He is 19 years previous, we will not overlook,” Laperriere mentioned. “I do know there’s an enormous buzz round him — across the league, not solely in Philly. However he handles it nice.”

Michkov’s mom Maria and his youthful brother Prohor attended the sport with Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula.

“I am glad as a result of my household might see my first objective,” Michkov mentioned with Zamula as his translator. “That objective was for my household.”

• Luchanko was in all places.

His velocity was evident however the 2024 first-rounder did much more than simply fly up and down the ice. He received attracts, he protected the puck and he performed in all conditions.

When the 18-year-old heart had the puck within the offensive zone, he stored it there.

“That is a child that I used to be very impressed by,” Laperriere mentioned. “Simply by the maturity in his recreation — nice on faceoffs, good penalty killer, good on the ability play. I am very enthusiastic about his future, that is for certain.”

Luchanko has extra junior hockey forward of him. He appreciated the belief from Laperriere on Friday night time.

“That is one thing that I’ve all the time sort of tried to do is to let the coach be capable of put me over the boards anytime,” Luchanko mentioned. “I am glad he can really feel that manner about me.”

Extra: Michkov mania, Jett lives up to name and other observations from Flyers rookie camp

• Oliver Bonk, the Flyers’ first-round choose from 2023 not named Michkov, made a couple of refined however vital defensive performs. He twice cleared the puck from a harmful space, with a kind of occasions coming in OT.

The 19-year-old and Hunter McDonald made up the Flyers’ prime defensive pair.

“It was nice, he is superior,” the 22-year-old McDonald mentioned of Bonk. “Hopefully we are able to maintain gaining some chemistry, it was good to get that first recreation really feel. We had been speaking. That was one factor we talked about with [Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw], simply speaking extra as a result of that helps everyone. Simply sort of having nice gaps, learn off one another and we’ll each be efficient that manner.”

• Elliot Desnoyers complemented Michkov and Luchanko nicely on the Flyers’ first line. He needed to be a “canine on a bone” by getting these two the puck. He additionally seemed efficient killing penalties.

The 22-year-old winger is able to flush a tricky sophomore AHL season, which got here after a promising first 12 months on the professional stage.

“He seemed nice,” Laperriere mentioned. “He seemed quick, he seemed fast, he seemed robust on that puck. That is an amazing build-up for him. It is a large 12 months for him — he is aware of that, we all know that.”

• Carson Bjarnason, the Flyers’ 2023 second-round choose, performed the total recreation in internet and stopped 28 of 31 photographs.

The Flyers put 41 photographs on Garand.

• Spencer Gill gave the Flyers an opportunity at extra time with an amazing defensive effort within the remaining minute to maintain the Rangers from sealing the sport.

“That was a hell of a play to save lots of that empty-net objective,” Laperriere mentioned.

The 2024 second-round defenseman assisted the Flyers’ first objective, which was a redirection from Alexis Gendron.

• Michkov will watch because the Flyers and Rangers get again at it Saturday for the second rookie recreation (5:05 p.m. ET).

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