97.5 The Fanatic Flyers Roundup: Not A Savior?
The 2024-25 season has begun whether you’ve stayed awake long enough to watch it or not.
The Philadelphia Flyers dropped the puck in the Western time zone with four 10pm starts to open the season. They followed up a thrilling shootout win in Vancouver with three losses and collected three of a possible eight points on the road trip.
Matvei Michkov unsurprisingly stole the attention scoring his first NHL goal in Edmonton. Tim Saunders impressively trusted his instincts in the moment for a dramatic call on 97.5 The Fanatic despite impending replay review(s). He followed it up with another just 4:35 later.
- Friday 10/11: Flyers 3, Vancouver Canucks 2 (SO)
- Saturday 10/12: Calgary Flames 6, Flyers 3
- Tuesday 10/15: Edmonton Oilers 4, Flyers 3 (OT)
- Thursday 10/17: Seattle Kraken 6, Flyers 4
Matvei Michkov
All eyes turn to Matvei Michkov when he hits the ice. The 19-year-old has drawn comparisons to Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov, and he’s already shown why.
His vision and quick decisions on the ice have already led to four points in four NHL games before he’s hit the ice in South Philadelphia.
Michkov lit the lamp for his first NHL goal by stuffing a puck at the goal line past the pad of Stuart Skinner. A slow signal and multiple replay reviews eliminated some style points, but he quickly compensated with a smooth one-time shot to find the back of the net.
The Flyers are the only team in NHL history to finish 32nd on the power play after three straight seasons in the cellar since the league’s most recent expansion.
They’ve already scored five power-play goals in four games. Michkov has registered a point on four of the five.
Related Link: The Real Appeal of Matvei Michkov For Flyers Fans
His quickness on the right side has helped the top unit with Owen Tippett, Morgan Frost, Travis Konecny, and Jamie Drysdale move the puck efficiently to create opportunities.
The Russian rookie was also able to shake off a punishing hit from Brandon Montour in Seattle on Thursday. He remained in the game and assisted a goal from Jamie Drysdale to help a comeback that ultimately fell just short.
The Other Flyers Teenager
The other teenage former first-round pick on the roster has caught the eye of John Tortorella.
Jett Luchanko became the youngest player in Flyers history, debuting less than two months after his 18th birthday.
His speed and impressive preseason conditioning earned him an effectual tryout for nine games at the NHL level. If he plays a 10th, the Flyers will burn one year of his entry-level contract.
The 5-foot-11 speedster hasn’t found the scoresheet yet in three NHL games.
Tortorella limited his workload by sitting him as a healthy scratch in the second game of the season in Calgary. However, the veteran head coach still found a way to compliment Luchanko after the game by pointing out how much the second power-play unit missed his contributions.
Luchanko reentered the lineup against the Oilers. The ESPN broadcast jumped the gun calling his first NHL goal when a shot by Bobby Brink narrowly missed him in front and made its way to the back of the net.
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He earned high-leverage third period shifts against Connor McDavid and Edmonton’s high-powered top line in a career-high 17:00 of ice time.
Although Luchanko has shown poise and promise, the Flyers have a difficult decision to make.
Keeping him in the NHL will limit him to mostly a third line center role. A demotion to the Ontario Hockey League makes him the featured offensive weapon for the Guelph Storm in one of the best junior leagues in the world.
The final verdict will likely arrive on Nov. 1 after a home matchup against the St. Louis Blues.
Home Opener
The hype about Matvei Michkov scoring a goal in a rookie game, sparking the captain to drop the gloves for a preseason fight, or scoring his first two NHL goals on the road already has Flyers fans excited.
It won’t compare to the roar of the Wells Fargo Center crowd when they hear Lou Nolan introduce “The Mad Russian” before the home opener on Saturday.
Hope and optimism have returned. Fans who survived the mediocrity of the 2010s and the demoralizing crash and burn after the Covid-19 pandemic want to believe in the New Era of Orange and the savior of the franchise (even if Danny Briere won’t call him that).
It’s up to the Flyers to fulfill the promise.
Philadelphia fans tired from scrutinizing a volatile head football coach and disappointed from an early exit in Red October can show up early for the pregame block party starting at 4pm.
- Saturday 10/19 vs. Vancouver Canucks, 7pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Tuesday 10/22 vs. Washington Capitals, 6pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Wednesday 10/23 @ Washington Capitals, 7:30pm on 93.3 WMMR
- Saturday 10/26 vs. Minnesota Wild @ 7pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
