How Flyers are ‘staying with it’ on Matvei Michkov’s development – NBC Sports Philadelphia

VOORHEES, N.J. — After practice ended, Rick Tocchet went to the whiteboard with Matvei Michkov.

As the head coach and youngster from Russia were breaking things down, Sean Couturier came over to help.

It almost served as a reminder that Michkov is still learning and that it’s not always easy with the 20-year-old. Patience will be required and sometimes it’ll take multiple people.

“Right away, Mich was looking at Coots, I can tell that Mich really respects Coots, there’s something there,” Tocchet said Sunday after practice. “So I think that’s valuable. Coots has got a good way of delivering a message.”

The Flyers were coming off a 3-2 overtime loss Saturday afternoon to the Senators. Couturier and Michkov were on the ice for Ottawa’s first goal in which Tim Stutzle was left alone to blast a shot from the circle.

Michkov thought he needed to take off and support Couturier along the boards as the Flyers were attempting to play the puck out of their own zone. But the puck never got to Couturier, which left the Flyers to defend. They wanted Michkov to stay in the slot, something they discussed after practice.

“I think that’s important that those guys talk it out,” Tocchet said. “Now he’s, ‘Oh, yeah, now I get it.’ It’s good to have players be almost like an extension of the coaching staff, especially when you have a language barrier.

“Poor guy, when somebody’s talking to him, it’s usually to correct a mistake. It’s hard sometimes.”

Couturier understands that.

“It’s just staying with it,” the 32-year-old captain said. “I think communicating is definitely a challenge, but we’ve got to keep working at it. Take our time with explaining things and how we want to make plays out there and the way that we want to play. I think it’s just important to keep building. It’s a building process. It might be a slow process, but as long as we stick to it, eventually we’ll get to another level.”

The Flyers have worked with Michkov on deciphering when to anticipate offense and when to hang in there for defense. He made the jump to the NHL at 19 years old last season after playing in the KHL, Russia’s top pro league. There are stylistic differences between the leagues.

“We’ve got to understand where he played in Russia and what was he taught?” Tocchet said. “From what I was told, it was do what you want out there. I think he knows now he’s coming to a situation where it’s a team game. It’s not an individual game. There are individual moments, but it’s a team game and it always will be. He’s getting it. He’s playing better every game. He had a really good practice today.”

Considering the challenges, Michkov’s rookie year was impressive. He led the Flyers with 26 goals last season and put up 63 points. The talented winger came to America in the summer before the season.

“It’s a different game over there I assume,” Couturier said. “There’s so much more than just the game, I feel, with him. He’s young, I don’t know if he has ever left Russia before, but a new country to live in, the language barrier. There are a lot of things that make it hard for him to adjust.

“Credit to him, last year he had a great year. This year, I think he’s still trying to find his game. He keeps working, he’s still young. Every young player goes through some growing pains at times. It’s how you respond. As long as he keeps working, that’s what you want to see.”

Michkov has scored a goal in each of the Flyers’ last two games. Prior to that, he had gone nine straight games without a goal and had one over the first 13 games.

“Even if he’s not scoring or producing, it’s easy for a young guy like him, especially him, to kind of cheat for offense, try to look for breakaways and kind of forget about the defensive side of the game,” Couturier said. “I thought over the last couple of games — not just the last two games, but the last couple of games — he’s supporting better, he’s more on the right side of the puck even when we don’t have the puck.

“You want to contribute in different ways if you’re not producing, and not hurt your team. I think he’s trying to find that balance right now.”

It’s no secret that Michkov has had to find his fitness and form through the early part of the season. Tocchet said the last couple of games have been the fastest Michkov has looked.

“He’s getting his legs, he’s getting his stuff in the gym, I think they’re doing a little skate with him now,” Tocchet said. “It’s a part of the process and we can’t be scared of it.”