Matvei Michkov scores twice, including a power-play goal in Flyers’ 3-2 win over Avalanche
The Flyers fielded a roster that had 11 players age 25 or younger on Monday night, with Michkov and Trevor Zegras leading the way for a second straight win.
No Owen Tippett. No Cam York. No Travis Konecny. No Rasmus Ristolainen. No Tyson Foerster.
No problem.
Fielding a lineup with 11 skaters (of 18) age 25 or younger, and five players who were in Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League last weekend — including Cole Knuble, who was making his NHL debut — this one was earmarked for a loss against the goal-scoring machine that is the Colorado Avalanche.
Instead, backed by a pair of goals by Matvei Michkov, 21, three assists by 25-year-old Trevor Zegras, and assists by Oliver Bonk, 21, and Denver Barkey, 21, the Flyers beat the visiting Avalanche 3-2.
» READ MORE: Flyers recall Alex Bump, Cole Knuble from Lehigh Valley; Owen Tippett placed on IR
After going winless in their first nine games, the Flyers have now won two straight.
The Flyers got a power-play opportunity early in the first period when the Avalanche were called for too many men on the ice and — wait for it — capitalized. It marked the second straight game the Flyers scored on the man advantage, with Michkov scoring the game-winner on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators, and only the third time the Flyers scored the opening tally this season.
Zegras, Barkey, Michkov, Jamie Drysdale, 24, and Porter Martone, 19, started the power play and got set up, with Colorado goalie Mackenzie Blackwood making a glove save on Drysdale’s point shot.
Zegras then won his second straight face-off in the offensive zone, and the Flyers set up again. This time the New York native sent the puck high but eventually got it back for a shot-pass to Barkey in the slot he redirected.
The bad? Either Martone or Colorado defenseman Josh Manson blocked the shot attempt as they battled in front. The good? It ricocheted right to Michkov, who put his knee down and scored from the bottom of the right circle.
Colorado challenged for goalie interference, but it was ruled that Manson pushed Martone into Blackwood. The Flyers did not score on the ensuing power play but had six shot attempts.
» READ MORE: Sean Couturier has some ideas for how the Flyers can jump-start their offense: ‘We’ve got to simplify our game’
And Michkov was not done.
In the second period, with Colorado pushing a little harder, the Russian winger extended the Flyers’ lead to 2-0.
Coming off the bench, Michkov took a pass from Zegras in the offensive zone and carried it down the left wall and around the net away from two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar. He played keep-away from Makar as he skated up the ice before curling to the middle above the circles and sending a seeing-eye wrister on goal that beat Blackwood. The puck looked like it was deflected, but it is hard to tell if it went off Makar or either Noah Cates or Manson battling in the slot.
Michkov said postgame he thought Cates got his first of the season, but the center got the secondary assist. The Russian winger has now scored in three straight games (four goals) and has six goals on the season. His six goals are tied for eighth in the NHL with several players, including Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon, Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and Florida’s Brady Tkachuk.
Colorado got one back three seconds after a roughing penalty on Travis Sanheim expired. The defenseman went to defend Noel Acciari after Makar leveled him. As the power play was expiring, Martin Nečas shot the puck against the grain from above the right circle, beating Joseph Woll, who had another stellar game and earned his first win as a Flyer, over the right shoulder to cut the lead to 2-1.
Although the first period felt a bit more even, in the middle frame the Avalanche had 60.53% of the shot attempts and 56.25% of the scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. But in the third period, after killing an early high-sticking penalty called on Sean Couturier, the Flyers found their legs and reestablished their two-goal lead.
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog had the puck in his own end and was pestered by Zegras, forcing him to ring it around but out of the reach of Devon Toews. Acciari, elevated to the top line with Zegras and Christian Dvorak, and beat Toews to the spot and chipped the puck deep to Zegras, who passed to Bonk at the right point.
The 21-year-old defenseman caught the pass, slightly walked the line, and fired a shot on goal with several players from both sides in front. Acciari tipped the shot, breaking his stick but notching his first goal with the Flyers since signing as a free agent on July 1.
» READ MORE: Rookie Oliver Bonk’s ability to bounce back has impressed his coach: ‘I love that about a young guy’
Colorado’s T.J. Hughes scored a goal similar to Michkov’s first of the night to make it 3-2, but the Flyers held their nerve as the Avalanche tried to tie things up late. Michkov just missed an empty-net attempt to complete the hat trick.
Breakaways
Tippett (upper-body injury) was placed on injured reserve Monday afternoon, joining Konecny (lower body), York (upper body), and Ristolainen (hand). Foerster was a game-time decision after blocking a shot against Ottawa on Saturday. … Forwards Alex Bump, Jacob Gaucher, and Knuble, and defenseman Hunter McDonald were called up from the Phantoms between Sunday and Monday and suited up. McDonald and Gaucher made their season debuts. … Cole Knuble and his father, Mike Knuble, are the first father-son duo to play for the Flyers. … The Flyers entered the game with the fifth-fewest minutes in the lead in the NHL (77 minutes, 2 seconds). … Michkov has 52 career goals. His 51st surpassed Brian Propp for the sixth-most goals by a Flyers player, age 21 or younger. He trails Eric Lindros (92), Simon Gagné (72), Peter Zezel (65), Bill Barber (64), and Konecny (57). … Bonk played 24:22, the highest total of his NHL career. He has played at least 20 minutes in three of his five games.
Up next
The Flyers head to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max)
