Getting Things Straight With Michkov and Couturier

Flyers Twitter is never a dull place. The latest example is the uproar caused by Flyers’ captain Sean Couturier’s postgame comments regarding 20-year-old star Matvei Michkov.

Michkov has had his fair share of struggles to begin the season, but has recently found his stride, scoring in back-to-back games. Couturier was asked about Michkov’s slow start and how the team helped keep his frustration levels low postgame. His response caused an uproar on social media.

Is there a rift between the Flyers’ captain and the team’s young star?

Let’s unpack what is going on between Couturier and Michkov.

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Michkov and Couturier in Overtime on Saturday

Let’s start by examining the play that generated some attention.

The first thing you notice on the play is Couturier very clearly jumping the gun and moving into the zone before Michkov entered with the puck. Now, the broadcast does no favors to the situation by saying it was Michkov’s “slight movement horizontally” that caused Couturier to go offside.

So, let’s say this now. Michkov did not do anything wrong. It was a good zone entry, one that led to a bit of space for him to get to the slot, the same spot he scored from earlier. Couturier jumped the gun. It happens.

The key aspect here is “the look.” It’s hard to watch that clip and confidently say that Couturier is mad at Michkov here. He seems more disappointed with himself if anything. If this were any cause for outrage, it should not be.

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Addressing Couturier’s postgame comments

The real fireworks came from the Flyers’ captain’s postgame comments.

After the game, Couturier said, “[Michkov] is a great goal scorer and has a lot of skill. I think you have to find a way to contribute to helping the team win in other ways when you’re struggling. You’re not always going to be scoring goals every game. I have seen improvement in the ways he is not cheating as much, being on the right side of pucks. I am sure it’s a little different for him. If he sticks to playing more the right way, I think it’s going to be better for the team overall.”

There certainly is a lot to unpack here. Without context, that answer can seem a bit ominous. So, naturally, a clip that does not include the question asked surfaces on social media, putting the outrage into overdrive.

Now, let’s add some context to the quote. Couturier gave his response to this question: “Matvei was saying he felt some pressure to score a goal, and the goal in Nashville was a bit of a weight off of him. What have you guys done to try and keep him level, and keep his frustration levels low and his confidence high as he has worked through this?”

With the context included, this does not seem all that bad. Essentially, Couturier was asked, “When Matvei is struggling to score, how can you help him keep his confidence high?” He responds, “By telling him there are other ways to impact a game other than scoring goals. If he continues to improve his play away from the puck, it will benefit the team, even when he’s not scoring. I see him improving. The more he does, the better he can help when he’s struggling.”

Was there a bit of emotion behind the comments? Sure. The Flyers had just lost a very winnable game. Do you expect Couturier to be smiling and happy after a loss like that? I wouldn’t.

At the end of the day, it’s the captain’s job to hold every single player on the team accountable. Would it have been better to do so behind closed doors? Probably. However, with context, he very clearly was not taking loud shots at Michkov; he was simply answering a question, mentioning things that have been said many, many times, by people not named Sean Couturier, as to what Michkov needs to improve on.

If you want to watch the full interview, it is attached below.

Michkov, Couturier, practice like everything’s normal… because it is

So, the fireworks went off Saturday afternoon, and the narratives had begun to be written. Meanwhile, the Flyers held practice the next day at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees. Shockingly enough… everything was normal.

The team held practice Sunday afternoon, and here is a shock, everything carried on as usual! Couturier continued to do something he has done since the 20-year-old phenom joined the Flyers, taking the time to help Michkov understand things.

Again, this is very normal. It’s not a PR stunt, it’s not Couturier trying to save face. This is an almost every practice occurrence.

After practice, Rick Tocchet said it began with just him and Michkov, then Couturier came over to help Michkov understand what was going on. “I was with [Michkov] on the board, then right away, [Couturier] came over. [Michkov] was looking at [Couturier], and I can tell he really respects him. I think that’s valuable, and Couturier has a good way of delivering a message.”

Tocchet described Couturier as “an extension of the coaching staff.”

Continuing the point, it was not hard to notice Michkov and Couturier were having a friendly conversation in the locker room after practice. It’s very clear that the captain does not hate Michkov. Would that really be going on if there was a rift between them?

So, let’s take a step back. Yes, Couturier’s postgame comments were loud. However, when you look beyond the social media clips and truly understand the context of the situation, everything is fine between Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier.

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