97.5 The Fanatic Flyers Roundup: Matvei “The Magic Man” Michkov
Good news came to the Philadelphia Flyers during a rare four-day break in the middle of the season. Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Rasmus Ristolainen will represent their respective countries in the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
Related Content: 3 Philadelphia Flyers Selected to NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Rosters
The fan base, however, is still enamored with rookie phenom Matvei Michkov and his propensity for 3-on-3 overtime game-winners.
- Friday 11/29: Flyers 3, New York Rangers 1 (at the Wells Fargo Center)
- Saturday 11/30: Flyers 3, St. Louis Blues 2 (at the Enterprise Center)
- Thursday 12/5: Florida Panthers 7, Flyers 5 (at the Wells Fargo Center)
A Thriller in South Philly
The defending Stanley Cup champions jumped on a rusty Flyers team on Thursday. Defensive lapses won’t end well with firepower like Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Carter Verhaeghe on the opposite side.
A power-play goal early in the second period put the Panthers up 3-0. The Flyers looked dead in the water.
They exploded for four goals to close out the second period.
Owen Tippett ignited the bench and the crowd with two goals on the same shift, both assisted by his linemate Michkov.
The Flyers took a 5-4 lead on a goal from Garnet Hathaway in the third period. However, the dramatic surge didn’t last. Bobby Brink, Travis Konecny, and Joel Farabee all ended up in the penalty box at different points late in the third period.
Farabee’s penalty put the Panthers on the man advantage and allowed Reinhart to score the game-winner with under two minutes on the clock. It was Florida’s third power-play goal, and Matthew Tkachuk added a fourth in the closing seconds on an empty net.
Hathaway felt the Flyers outplayed the Panthers for significant stretches.
“They’re a great team. It’s no mistake they won a Cup or are playing as well as they are right now. I think it’s a testament to the room (taking the lead after trailing 3-0). We get in situations where we’re down, and we fought back. It’s one where we’ve got to put it behind us really quick and just take the positive that we found our game after that break that we had between games.” -Garnet Hathaway
Assistant coach Brad Shaw spoke positively about the overall effort after acknowledging some of the early mistakes. The players showed pride in a collective willingness to stick up for teammates despite the costly penalties.
John Tortorella did not address the media after the game.
The Flyers might’ve shown fire during the comeback. They ultimately came up empty, however, and the penalties had a lot to do with wasting a dramatic comeback.
Flyers Dominating 3-on-3 Overtime
Remember that old hockey cliche about playing a full 60 minutes? The Flyers actually need more. They’ve played past regulation in 10 of their 26 games this season, accounting for roughly 38%. The league average usually falls between 20-25% over a full season.
Their 7-3 record after regulation has catapulted them into the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Flyers have surprisingly won three of five shootouts in 2024-25, but the real story has come in the 3-on-3 overtime.
Matvei Michkov became the fourth teenager in NHL history to score at least three career overtime game-winners. “The Magic Man” (if you listen to Tim Saunders) has lit the fan base on fire with his flare for the dramatic.
Tortorella compared the 3-on-3 overtime period to shinny hockey after practice Monday. While he’s emphasizing a responsible defensive approach, he’s also working to allow freedom for skilled players like Michkov and Travis Konecny to accelerate the pace in what he considers an entertaining addition to the modern NHL.
“I love watching 3-on-3. It’s unbelievable why we don’t get rid of the shootout. TV, time. I don’t what’s been told to me, but I think it’s one of the best things to happen to the game (3-on-3) because you can’t play it out (a tie game after regulation out at) even strength.” -John Tortorella
The Flyers practiced the 3-on-3 novelty on Wednesday because of its surprising frequency this season.
“When you’re tired, you’re screwed. You’ve got to find a way to do the best you can until you have a chance to come off. That’s the greatest thing about 3-on-3 is you don’t know what the hell’s going to happen. You’re either getting a great chance, or the other team’s getting a great chance.” -John Tortorella
The NHL will almost certainly never use the 3-on-3 overtime format in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, the Flyers will happily rack up regular-season points if Michkov continues to build a highlight reel during the extra session.
Goaltending Questions
Sam Ersson missed his 10th straight game on Thursday against the Panthers.
Tortorella had previously said his top goaltender would be available after sitting out since November 11 with a lower-body injury. However, Ivan Fedotov got the start.
The head coach didn’t meet with the media after the team’s morning skate. Rocky Thompson met in the morning before Shaw spoke postgame.
The Panthers chased Fedotov after two first period goals. Aleksei Kolosov finished the night between the pipes.
Fedotov and Kolosov had struggled before Ersson went down. However, they improved to help the Flyers to a 6-3-1 record since the injury.
The Flyers must weigh their roster options whenever Ersson does return. Few NHL teams carry three goaltenders, especially for more than a few games. However, there’s the added layer of Kolosov’s preseason tension with the organization.
Demoting him to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms leaves the possibility he’ll return overseas to play in the KHL.
Can the Flyers allow an unaccomplished prospect to dictate their roster decisions?
They’ve already demoted Helge Grans and Anthony Richard to the AHL in recent weeks because of roster numbers more than merit. Jamie Drysdale will also return from injured reserve soon.
Keeping Kolosov on the roster would mean one fewer skater at the NHL level.
Looking Ahead
Stream Tim Saunders and Todd Fedoruk on 975thefanatic.com for both games of the weekend back-to-back.
Sunday’s game against the Utah Hockey Club, the former Arizona Coyotes, will start at 7:30pm instead of the originally scheduled 7pm puckdrop. The extra time will allow fans to manage traffic after the Eagles finish a 1pm home game.
- Saturday 12/7 @ Boston Bruins, 1pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Sunday 12/8 vs. Utah Hockey Club, 7:30pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Date Tuesday 12/10 @ Columbus Blue Jackets, 7pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Thursday 12/12 vs. Detroit Red Wings, 7pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
