Why John Tortorella Benched Matvei Michkov vs. Blues

Star Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov has not scored a point in any of his last three games, and his ice time has decreased in direct relation to his decline in performance.

The rigors of the NHL catching up to Michkov was something John Tortorella and the Flyers expected, and there are going to be times where the 19-year-old Russian sensation just might not understand his assignment.

The language barrier plays a large part in that, but Tortorella has already vowed that he will not continue to use defenseman Egor Zamula as the de facto translator during practices, games, and film sessions. It’s going to be a work in progress.

That progress hit a snag in the Flyers’ 2-1 win against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night when Tortorella benched Michkov for a good chunk of the first period following two turnovers in the defensive zone and a missed opportunity to pounce on a loose puck after.

It just looked and felt like Michkov was chasing the game early on. And it’s fair to wonder if Michkov is slowing down a little bit. If he is, that’s perfectly okay. He played 21:33 against Montreal and 21:03 against Washington before dropping down to 15:36 against Boston and 13:56 against the Blues.

Why was Matvei Michkov benched?

“He’s a 19-year-old kid playing in the best league in the world. I think he’s beginning to see what the National Hockey League is, as far as the speed, as far as time in space… all the things that come with it,” Tortorella said of Michkov.

“There’s going to be major struggles with him 5-on-5. We expect that. Where I’m going to have to teach – and that teaching moment, I’m not going to tell you what it’s all about – if we just keep on seeing the same mistake, and he’s just totally not concentrating on a certain part of the game, that’s when, and I’ve been very honest with him about that, he’s going to miss some ice. He’s going to watch the game.

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“It’s not me, you know, screaming at (Michkov). It’s telling him, ‘This is how it works.’ If I think other guys are going and you’re struggling in certain situations, and it’s repetitive, you’re going to have to sit and watch for a little bit. That’s all that was.

“I’m going to have to watch (Michkov), and just like any other player, or really any other player in that room, he’s going to be held accountable as we go through these games and we’ll see where it goes.”

Like any other young player in the NHL, Michkov is going to have his ups and downs. At 19 years old, the former No. 7 overall pick is nowhere near being a finished product, which is a compliment given how well he has already played for the Flyers this year.

Give Tortorella credit for pulling the trigger early against the Blues when he knew he had to tell Michkov about and explain what he was seeing.