Philadelphia Flyers' Matvei Michkov Dazzles in 4-3 Overtime Loss to Oilers – Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers led the Edmonton Oilers for almost their entire night contest—until they didn't. Falling 4-3 in overtime, the Orange and Black moved to 1-1-1 on the season but got a stellar performance from Matvei Michkov. What are some things he can take away from himself and the rest of the team?

Michkov Had His Breakout

For Michkov, it was really only a matter of time. All his life he has been in charge of the competition. Whether it was among Russians his age, the best prospects in hockey, or the best players in Europe, finding ways to score was easy for the 19-year-old. Now in the NHL, he has become one of the best players for the Flyers (as suspected).

With two power play goals in the first half and a game where he was the center of attention overall, Michkov was excellent. In just his third NHL ice championship, he was the only competitor to rival Connor McDavid. The young Russian scored his first and second career goals in quick succession, showing the hockey world just how good he is.

The kind of game that Michkov had was a once-a-month effort for the Orange and Black in recent memory. Due to the lack of talent, they never had many concerts like that. Remember, this is the NHL's third youth game. If he continues to improve as the season goes on (young players often do), he'll be interesting to watch the rest of the way. His point-per-game pace (three points in three games) might be up, and it might not be. What's important is that he's doing things that his teammates usually can't do at the age of 19.

Luchanko is not going anywhere

I thought this before the season started, but it's becoming increasingly clear that 18-year-old Jett Luchanko won't be making it back to the minors. He had the most ice time among Flyer centers against the Oilers (17:00) and was one of the best forwards of the night. While there are still things to work on, he has been a good net on the ice—his usage shows that.

At this point, it appears that Luchanko is playing at a high enough level to stay in the NHL. Not only that, he was a huge asset in the middle for the Flyers. When he was pulled from the lineup against the Calgary Flames because he had played less than 24 hours earlier, Philadelphia wasn't very good. His impact is too great to see any time with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) again, which is a huge compliment where he is. Taken in the 2024 NHL Draft a few months ago, his maturity is off the charts.

Ersson Stays Hot, Flyers Defense Is Not

This season, Sam Ersson has done everything possible to keep the Flyers in games. While allowing four goals on 33 shots is hardly a “good” effort, he was one of the reasons his team went to overtime in the first place. Especially in goals including game-winners, his defense didn't catch up to him. This has been one of the major themes for 2024-25.

The Flyers had their best game in goals against, giving up 3.08, but there were some inaccuracies that left Ersson in a tough spot. Head coach John Tortorella has returned the same unit for three straight games with Nick Seeler injured – it may be time for a change. Emil Andrae would be a great option to step in, someone who could change the defensive game. The forwards play a role in the defensive game, too, but the backs haven't been very good.

Although it's a small sample size, the Flyers seem to be re-entering the realm of relying heavily on Ersson to win games. Even though backup Ivan Fedotov sees difficulties, their originally planned workloads should not change much. When Ersson was dealt several seasons ago, Philadelphia went from having one good goaltender to zero. His game was encouraging, but they will need to be smart this time.

Related: Philadelphia Flyers Need to Play Long Game with Ivan Fedotov

Next, the Flyers will close out their four-game season opener against the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 17. Thankfully, it will be their last start at 10pm Eastern Standard Time.