Flyers rookie sensation Matvei Michkov is the real deal. His team is ready to protect the investment

Another preseason game, another great performance from rookie sensation Matvei Michkov.

After coming up empty in his preseason debut, he scored goals in two straight games, including two in a 3-2 overtime win over the Bruins at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday — and they weren’t not in an empty net like his. count against the New York Islanders.

Michkov’s first game of the night came on a power play when a redirect of his stick shaft to the right post found the net. His second goal, in overtime, was, however. Michkov skated down the right side and fired a shot past Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

Mishkov is good, that’s a well-known fact. Here are three more things we learned from the Flyers’ thrilling overtime victory.

Don’t touch Mishkov

Flyers general manager Danny Brière said during Michkov’s introductory press conference that they showed him the epic fight between Nic Deslauriers and Matt Rempe of the New York Rangers last season, telling the youngster: “He’s his new best friend.”

He may have said it in jest, but it’s clear the Flyers really want to protect their prized prospect. Deslauriers wasn’t in the lineup Saturday, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t guys ready to replace him.

In the first period, Bruins defenseman Billy Sweezey pushed Michkov toward the boards and, after the Flyers winger passed the puck, continued on him. When they finally broke up, Sweezey appeared to be trying to convince Michkov to drop the gloves.

Sweezey didn’t get Michkov; he got Sean Couturier instead. The Flyers captain, who had a fight last year – his first since the 2019 preseason – took on Sweezey and danced with a guy who had six fights in the last season alone. Couturier landed a few and received canes from his teammates and cheers from the fans.

In the second period, it was Hunter McDonald who first intervened when Michkov was invaded after trying to jam the puck at the right post. He received a brutal penalty while helping his friend, who caught Trent Frederic in the melee. They chewed each other out while holding each other’s jerseys before Couturier and then Travis Konecny ​​came to speak with the veteran forward.

Fedotov looks good

There are question marks over whether or not Ivan Fedotov’s game can translate to the NHL after his entire time in the Kontinental Hockey League. After stopping 10 of 12 shots in his preseason debut against the Washington Capitals, he played the entire game against Boston and looked good.

But it’s okay.

A big body at 6-foot-7, he may not be the fastest or most athletic goalie, but he read plays well to start things off. Of the 12 shots he faced in the first period, he allowed one goal, a point shot from Hampus Lindholm that deflected off Jamie Drysdale. The goal came after the Flyers had two chances to strip the puck away, but were stopped at the blue line each time.

In the second period, he allowed Matthew Poitras to score a shorthanded goal. Fedotov didn’t seem to recover the puck well on the breakaway and allowed the shot past his glove.

At times Fedotov looked steady, and at other times he seemed to have trouble stopping. In the end, he stopped 25 of 27 shots.

Not the flashiest goaltender, Fedotov has a large frame to fit in the net. But he is determined to be the best and has been spotted checking his positioning during TV timeouts.

The Bubble Guys continue to make their case

As the games started to dwindle, several guys on the roster were trying to earn at least one more preseason game or even a chance as an extra forward or defenseman when the team broke camp.

Jett Luchanko has made another call to earn at least a nine-match try. Did he have any moments where he showed he was only 18? Absolutely, as evidenced by the three freebies he got in the first 40 minutes, including two in the first third.

But playing between Bobby Brink and Joel Farabee, the center also used his speed and vision to create plays. In the first half, Luchanko used his jets, his best asset, to rush down the right side and cross the zone of the field. He couldn’t bury the puck, but he put the Bruins on notice.

He repeatedly tried to force passes, but when he had the space he made some great plays. On the same shift he nearly scored, he nearly set up Farabee for a breakaway, and in the second period he started a tic-tac-toe play – one where Couturier had a wide-open net but opted to to attempt a pass – with a fantastic setup for Farabee in the slot.

Olle Lycksell is another guy who played with the Flyers last season and had an impressive camp. He continues to improve with each game. On Saturday night, he turned in an impressive performance, not only being the setup man for Michkov’s power play marker, but also confidently carrying the puck around the net and feeding Rasmus Ristolainen in the right faceoff circle for the Flyers’ first goal.

Lycksell had several scoring chances and just missed on the power play in the third period. But he also got on the scoresheet with Michkov’s marker in the second, as he was the one who came in from the left circle and found Michkov.

To be continued

The Flyers have Sunday off before traveling to Long Island to face the Islanders on Monday (7 p.m.).