The Philadelphia Flyers shook things up for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Forward Matvei Michkov and defenseman Emil Andrae have come out of the lineup. Center Jett Luchanko and defenseman Oliver Bonk draw into the lineup in their place, each making their playoff debuts. For Bonk, it is just his 2nd NHL game. It is Luchanko’s 9th in the NHL, and 5th this season.

Luchanko is playing on the third line with Carl Grundstrom and Denver Barkey, initially lining up on the right wing. Bonk is playing on the third pair on the right of Nick Seeler.

The Flyers are trailing 3-0 in the series to the Hurricanes, and needed a spark to try and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Michkov has just one point this postseason, an assist in Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Andrae also has just a single point, an assist on the Trevor Zegras goal in Game 3 against the Hurricanes.

There was no indication of the change prior to the game. Michkov was not on the ice at all for warmups. Andrae was on the ice, but did not take part in line rushes.

Immediate analysis of the Flyers’ changes

Adding Luchanko adds some much-needed speed to the Flyers’ lineup, especially with Owen Tippett still out. Luchanko has also shown to be a reliable defensive player so far in his small sample size in the NHL.

As for Bonk, he is still a bit of a wild card, to me. He showed his offensive potential during his NHL debut against the Montreal Canadiens in the season finale. His defensive game took some time to come around, but it did look better as the game went on.

Michkov has not been himself in the postseason. There have been many times in this series where the speed of the postseason and the Hurricanes seemed to be a bit much for the 21-year-old in Year 2 in the NHL. It’s important to remember that he is still a very much developing player. Ups and downs are natural in Year 2 in the league.

Injecting my opinion here, I would not have scratched Michkov here. Especially given the Flyers’ lack of offense in this series, they could use his creativity. However, looking at the other perspective, Michkov has not done anything to keep himself in the lineup, either.

Regarding Emil Andrae, that one is a bit of a head-scratcher for me. I don’t think his play warranted a trip to the press box. My best guess is they think Bonk can be a little stronger on pucks and still bring some offensive promise.

Ultimately, I don’t think a do-or-die Game 4 is the time for two players with a combined 10 games of NHL experience to have a playoff debut, let alone 2.

They are clearly trying anything to get some life. Will the change light a spark for the Flyers?

Read More: Do-or-Die Time: Flyers Need to Play ‘Determined’ in Game 4