Flyers in robust spot with former first-round choose Michkov

The Philadelphia Flyers accomplished a dramatic extra time victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, however not every little thing goes easily to this point to begin the season in Philadelphia. Whereas the Flyers have compiled a good 2-2-1 file to begin the yr, one of many extra notable rising storylines on the Flyers has been the utilization of star second-year ahead Matvei Michkov. 

In line with The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, the 2023 seventh-overall choose was as soon as once more benched by head coach Rick Tocchet late in Saturday night time’s sport, with Kurz attributing the transfer to “too many ineffective shifts and careless performs with the puck.”

Michkov has struggled up to now below Tocchet, with only one purpose and 0 assists by 5 video games. Whereas he stays the Flyers’ prime energy play ahead by way of time-on-ice per sport, his general utilization has declined from 16:41 per sport final season to only 14:50 this yr. Whereas Tocchet’s utilization of Michkov might in the end assist the younger ahead develop a extra well-rounded all-around sport, it’s additionally doubtlessly truthful to query whether or not taking this strategy with Michkov, who is likely one of the Flyers’ most deadly offensive weapons, in the end hurts the staff’s probabilities to win greater than it helps.

Different notes from the Japanese Convention:

• The Buffalo Sabres have rebounded strongly since their 0-3-0 begin, rattling off consecutive dominant victories in opposition to two of final yr’s playoff groups: the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers. Whereas Zach Benson’s return from damage has vastly helped issues, main the cost for the Sabres has been netminder Alex Lyon, who was signed for $1.5M AAV this previous summer time to be the backup to starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Lyon has a .929 save share by 5 video games this season, a mark that ranks third within the NHL amongst goalies with 4 begins or extra. Whereas Luukkonen is more likely to stay the staff’s go-to starter each time he recovers from his damage, Lyon is placing collectively a robust case to obtain an elevated workload as a backup.
• Panthers ahead Brad Marchand was fined $5K by the NHL’s Division of Participant Security Sunday, for unsportsmanlike conduct dedicated in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Sabres. The unsportsmanlike conduct occurred halfway by the second interval when Marchand obtained right into a scuffle with Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. Dahlin had cross-checked Marchand, and Marchand went after Dahlin because of this, delivering just a few punches. Marchand was in the end taken to the penalty field, however he traveled there with Dahlin’s helmet in hand, and as soon as within the penalty field, Marchand proceeded to tear a number of straps off of Dahlin’s helmet and toss it again onto the ice. This isn’t the primary time Marchand has gotten into bother for an unconventional sort of unsportsmanlike conduct: in the course of the 2018 playoffs, Marchand was formally warned by the league after he licked the face of then-Tampa Bay Lightning ahead Ryan Callahan.