The Philadelphia Flyers might have a sizeable 3-1 series lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean every single player is playing up to their best. And after missing the opportunity to perform a sweep in Game 4 on Saturday, head coach Rick Tocchet is going to make some changes to his lineup.
At practice on Sunday, before the team heads back to Pittsburgh to go and try to close out the series in Game 5 on Monday night, Tocchet revealed a new lineup that featured a whole lot of new and interesting tidbits. But one of them stood out the most, like an aching and pulsing pain point that is nearly impossible to ignore. Matvei Michkov is most likely going to be a healthy scratch on Monday and is out of the lineup entirely.
It is a trigger that has been pulled that cannot be unpulled and Tocchet went ahead and made sure to put some weight behind it during the playoffs this year. But, it also can’t be said that it is unwarranted.
Michkov has a total of zero points in the four playoff games and has averaged just 10:06 time-on-ice in the playoffs. It’s a little bit of a chicken-egg situation going on with Michkov not making the most of his few minutes he has been given, but also who could really be expected to look good in so few minutes.
Why Rick Tocchet is scratching Matvei Michkov in Game 5
Regardless, Michkov has not looked good this postseason at all and looks to be a step behind. But, head coach Tocchet shared his thoughts on Michkov and his playoff performance after practice on Sunday.
“I just think he’s part of the young group. Barkey went through it a little bit, Bump a little bit. Not hit the wall, but you got a plateau,” Tocchet said. “There’s a lot of pace in the playoffs, and you’re looking for that sort of stuff from the young guys. Not just to pick on them, but I’m just saying. I think it’s okay to evaluate them every once in a while, give them a rest and stuff, whether it’s Matvei or whether it’s Bump, it really doesn’t matter. I think that’s the way you develop players.”
While the lineup change has not been confirmed, since it is the playoffs and saying anything concrete the day before the game gives your opponent more of a chance to prepare, we can assume that Michkov is going to sit. And according to Tocchet, it is the right time for the 21-year-old Russian winger to have some rest and learn off the ice.
The key thing about what Tocchet said is that Michkov finds himself lumped in a group with Alex Bump and Denver Barkey — since the head coach is very into not holding any player higher than the other or giving anyone special treatment. It might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but Michkov has looked outmatched in his first NHL postseason experience, so it could be time for him to just take a breath and learn.
Of course Michkov is the primary figure in all of this because of what a disappointing season he has had. Coming off his 63-point rookie campaign, many people among the fan base and within the Flyers were expecting great things from the winger. But after coming to training camp in not the best shape (which is now a story beat to death) and not producing even close to the level he did last season until the last couple of months of the regular season, there has been a growing concern about the player. And now, after four games of going pointless and not bringing a whole lot else to the table, Michkov finds himself as a healthy scratch.
Coming in to be Michkov’s replacement on the third line looks to be Alex Bump.
Alex Bump is most likely Matvei Michkov’s replacement
As unveiled in the new projected Flyers lineup for Game 5, Bump is now going to be making his series (and NHL playoffs) debut on the third line with Noah Cates as his center and Tyson Foerster down from the first line, taking up the right wing spot that Michkov previously occupied.
“Yeah, well, we just want to try some stuff today,” Tocchet said about the lineup change at practice. “You know, whether he’s in tomorrow, we’ll find out, but he really looked good in practice today with a shot of energy. I think we need some after last game. I think we need some energy and we’ll figure it out tomorrow.”
It is certainly a comment on the entire team, but considering what Michkov looked like on the ice and what we have seen from the very eager Bump this season — cutting inside, not being afraid to be the complimentary player on a line, and willfully shooting the puck — it could be a very good change of pace, and to bring just what Tocchet wants the Flyers to do more of.
Specifically, Tocchet was asked about how the Flyers failed to perform along the boards in Game 4, giving up pucks and not winning battles a whole lot of the time and making plays from the perimeter to then get in tight to generate chances. The Flyers head coach said that Bump can bring some of that.
“Yeah, he’s good. He’s a bigger guy. He’s go a good wall play, but he’s got a great shot too. But yeah, I thought the wall play yesterday, especially in the first half, wasn’t as great. But I think that has to do with just overall play. I thought we didn’t have the energy that we usually had, and we were in the game. So, that’s the positive. We just got to step it up a bit tomorrow.”
The Flyers have the opportunity to take the series in Game 5 on Monday night and then be set to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
