Flyers’ Matvei Michkov signals season turnaround after game vs. Senators
The Philadelphia Flyers phenom has not had the best start to his season but Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators could be the start of getting back on track.
The dark cloud over what has been a surprisingly decent start to the Philadelphia Flyers season has been Matvei Michkov’s performance. But after spending a night in Ottawa, there might be some signs of life.
Coming into Thursday night’s game, there were serious questions about whether or not Michkov would get his season going before people start to panic. Maybe, there are some that are already panicking, but after some reassurance that his molasses-slow start to his season is because he suffered an offseason ankle injury that set his training back and he didn’t start his sophomore season fully in shape, some nerves were slightly calmed.
What doesn’t help though is Michkov continuing to not show up on the score sheet and not look like the dominant rookie we saw last season. The rookie that could just suddenly turn the game on its head and will the Flyers to earning at the very least a moral victory.
While he still has just one goal and one assist to his name for this season, the 20-year-old Russian winger is slowly getting back to looking like himself. Maybe it is just a slow start, or the reported injury that delayed everything for him really affected him as much as the Flyers are saying it did, but during Thursday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators, there was visible progress.
Michkov shows signs of life against the Senators
Within just the first couple minutes of the game, Michkov swiftly took a backhand pass from Christian Dvorak to burst through the neutral zone, over the blue line up against Ottawa defender Nick Jensen and give a little stutter step and got a shot on goal from an awkward angle and under defensive pressure. Could he have maybe done something to sustain possession and potentially get a better scoring chance? Possibly. But maybe now more than ever, Michkov just needs to get the feeling of being a scoring threat this season.
One of the best scoring chances the young winger had came after Dan Vladar stole the show during a penalty kill and after Michkov served his two minutes, got the rare chance for a quick breakaway.
It was the right idea. Executed as well as he possibly could — a quick forehand-backhand to lift it over the sprawling Linus Ullmark and it hit iron. It was just unlucky and nine out of every 10 times, doing exactly that in that exact situation, ends up being a goal. It just wasn’t for Michkov on Thursday.
But it didn’t stop the winger from trying and trying again. It wasn’t just a fluke of a scoring chance, Michkov was all over the puck and pouncing on second and third opportunities to try and have a game where we could point and see where his rejuvenation finally came.
Early in the second period, as the Senators were trying to break out of their own zone, defenseman Jamie Drysdale sneakily poked the puck loose off of Dylan Cozen’s stick and Michkov was perfectly trailing right behind the Senators center just in case that exact scenario happened. He got his own shot off, after streaking to Ullmark’s right side and trying to catch the netminder off-guard with a quick counter, but ended up being denied.
It is the culmination of these scoring chances that really make us confident that the real Michkov is still here. There were times where there was some doubt if he could possibly return to form this season, or it would just be a terrible down year that would cause other fan bases to point and laugh at the Flyers’ projected superstar floundering in his second year. But thankfully, there is clearly still the electric offense coming in waves off of Michkov’s stick.
During Thursday night’s game in Ottawa, Michkov led all Flyers in shots on goal with four and led all Flyers in shot attempts with seven. And when he was on the ice at 5-on-5 — during the 10 minutes he actually ended up out there — the Flyers had a 12-9 shot attempt advantage and a staggering 74.48 percent of the expected goals share, according to Natural Stat Trick.
There is no denying that Michkov made things happen against the Senators. None of them led to him getting any positive momentum towards improving on last year’s 63 points, but it was still immensely positive signs that he is on his way to tearing up opposing defenses and being a nightmare to play against in the coming weeks.
It’s all coming. There is going to be one game where Michkov just pours it on, scoring so many points that eventually lets us think he can finish on top of this Flyers team by the end of the season. Thursday night was the first significant step to that happening, and now the next one will be a couple pucks actually going over the goal line.
Daniel Jones Set to Cash In: "Money Will Follow" If He Keeps This Up, But For Now It's All About Winning
"Daniel Jones is playing at an elite level, but what will it cost the Colts to keep him after this breakout season?"
Daniel Jones is not just playing well — he's playing at a historic level, and the Indianapolis Colts are reaping the rewards. The Colts' offense, now one of the best in the NFL, owes much of its success to Jones' remarkable efficiency. On a one-year,
“If I keep playing at this level, the money will follow. But right now, it’s about staying focused on winning, keeping the offense rolling, and helping the team get to the playoffs — everything else will take care of itself.”
Jones’ stats are simply off the charts this season. He ranks:
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1st in EPA/play
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1st in success rate
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5th in EPA+CPOE composite
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8th in passer rating
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6th in completion percentage
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4th in yards per attempt
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Tied for 3rd in 40+ yard pass plays
His impressive efficiency is a big reason why the Colts have gone from a struggling offense to the
The Stakes Are High
Jones has undoubtedly earned a massive raise, but the Colts face a delicate decision. Tua Tagovailoa, Brock Purdy, and Trevor Lawrence all signed major contracts recently after playing at a similar level to Jones. The Colts may have to compete with top-tier quarterback deals if they’re going to keep him in Indy.
The Colts are currently looking at three potential contract paths:
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Contract 1: 5 years, $280 million ($56M per year), $175 million guaranteed
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Contract 2: 3 years, $130 million
($43.3M per year), $60 million guaranteed -
Contract 3: 1 year, $46.1 million (projected Franchise Tag)
While Jones could push for a long-term deal like Tagovailoa or Lawrence, a
Jones’ Importance to the Team
The Colts’ offense has been revitalized under Jones’ leadership. Last season, with Joe Flacco and Anthony Richardson splitting starts, the Colts averaged only 22 points per game
Jones has developed excellent chemistry with Shane Steichen, and the two have created an offense tailored to his strengths. His performance has not only improved the passing game but also balanced the attack, giving the Colts a much-needed edge.
What’s Next for the Colts?
As impressive as Jones has been, the Colts can’t afford to pay him top-tier money just yet. While he’s playing at an elite level, there are still questions about his consistency over a full season. The Colts are in a position to franchise Jones if needed, but they must be careful not to overcommit to a long-term deal that might not fully reflect his long-term potential.
Ultimately, the Colts have a decision to make — one that could shape their future for years to come. Daniel Jones has proven that he deserves a massive raise, but how much will the Colts be willing to pay to keep him? The answer could determine their success for the next decade.
