Michkov on ice: Flyers’ budding star frozen out as offense scuffles despite win over Wild

PHILADELPHIA — It happened again, Saturday night. 

No, I'm not talking about another consistently reliable game from the Flyers "third" line of Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster, and Bobby Brink. 

Yeah, that happened again, including Cates scoring the overtime game-winner off a feed from Foerster in the Flyers 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. 

But it's become old hat to write about them. They play the game the right way night in and night out and they are frequently the Flyers best trio on the ice.

"They're connected. They're in the right spots," coach Rick Tocchet said after the win. "They're system guys and they're reliable."

Yep. If I were writing about them, we could stop the story right there. Light work for me. 

NOAH CATES OVERTIME WINNER!

🎙️
Tim Saunders@fridge29 pic.twitter.com/eOVj8Wh9YL

— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) October 19, 2025

But I'm not. 

I'm also not writing about Dan Vladar, who continues to impress in his starts for the Flyers. 

He's started three of the Flyers five games so far and has looked good in each. He's allowed just five goals in those three games, and although he wasn't tested much in the win Saturday, when he was, he came up with the key saves - something the Flyers don't often get out of their goaltending.

Well, there was that one play right before the game-winning goal in overtime where the TV broadcast was gushing over him making an incredible save in overtime moments before the game-winner on a give and go by the wild. 

But Vladar never touched the puck, as it was shot wide. 

"Pure luck," Vladar would say afterwards. 

While true, what's not been pure luck has been his play in goal. 

Is Dan Vladar the answer?!? #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/63VZDecnOb

— Maher Media (@MaherMediaCo) October 19, 2025

Tocchet has alternated starts between Vladar and Sam Ersson to start the season, but it wouldn't surprise if on Monday, against Seattle, that rotation stops and Vladar gets a second start. 

"The energy he brings every day in the locker room ... I've never really seen a goalie do it," Cates said of Vladar. "He has great energy and picks us up. You don't see that from a goalie."

But I'm not here to write about him either. 

Because as solid as a start as this has been for the Flyers - going 2-2-1 in the five-game gauntlet they've had to start the season is quite commendable - and with the schedule lightening up a bit with their next five games coming against teams who are mediocre (a combined 13-11-4 to start the season by Seattle, Ottawa, the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh and Nashville with a combined goal differential of minus-12), there's a chance for the Flyers to make some early season noise. 

But they need to score. And while one line has done it's job, not much else has gone right on the offensive end. 

Yes, captain Sean Couturier had his four-point game against Florida in the opener, and he does look a step quicker than in the last two seasons. 

And yes, Owen Tippett has goals in consecutive games, even if the one that tied the game 1-1 on Saturday was a little flukey... 

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF FOR OWEN TIPPETT TO TIE THINGS UP 💪 #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/FbtlMLX3bm

— Maher Media (@MaherMediaCo) October 19, 2025

But beyond that, the offense has been non-existent. 

The Power Play is in its customary spot at the bottom of the NHL rankings (they are 1-for-15 to start the season). 

Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras have yet to score a goal. Although, Zegras has an assist in four straight games and Konecny had his best game, despite not scoring, against Minnesota, waking the team up with a second period shift in which he decided to impersonate a bowling ball that viewed each of the Minnesota skaters on the ice as bowling pins. 

"I think we can go through people a little more," Tocchet said. I think we can kill plays a little more. I think we can handle wall work a little better. These are the characteristics that we focus on every day and we want to work on. We're a work in progress."

The biggest "work in progress" on the team right now is Matvei Michkov. The erstwhile star of the team is playing less and less. 

He was down to 12:07 of ice time on Saturday - his lowest of the season and lowest since Jan. 30 of last season. 

Michkov was benched with roughly 11 minutes to go in the third period. He looks slow. He's making more mistakes than usual. And although he scored a goal in the loss to Winnipeg on Thursday, he looks nothing like himself. 

Tocchet juggled a couple lines and replaced Michkov with Tippett and suddenly, the line with him, Konecny and Couturier had some juice in the third period. 

"He's given us some energy," Tocchet said of Tippett, dodging talking about Michkov directly. "I went with nine (forwards), and I thought we started to come. That's what happens sometimes."

He's right. It is what happens sometimes. It's just not usual that the biggest name on the team, the supposed offensive dynamo, isn't part of that nine. 

The Flyers don't want to talk about it, but this is becoming a thing. If this team is going to turn the corner and go from one that is perennially on the outside looking in to one that is competing for a Stanley Cup, Michkov has to be a part of it. 

And five games in October are ultimately just that - five games in October. It's a long season in what the Flyers hope is a long and fruitful career for Michkov. 

So, it's not time to panic, by any means. 

But this is one of those storm clouds overhead that just won't go away, and the Flyers want to get out from under it, before it turns into a hurricane. 

There's no doubt that Michkov's conditioning is behind. Whether you buy the ankle injury story or not is irrelevant at this point, The Flyers are desperately trying to get him caught up to game shape. They need him. 

They need more offense from guys like Konecny and Zegras too, but at least those guys are finding other ways to contribute. Notice they were still among the nine that Tocchet relied on in a tight game in the third period and overtime. 

Michkov was not. And this was the second 3-on-3 overtime this season - a format that should be an ideal time for a skilled winger like Michkov to be on the ice - that he sat out entirely. 

It gets lost in the shuffle of a gravelly victory, but I assure you it's not lost on the organization. This is something that internally, they are very concerned about. 

Michkov needs to get right and quick. It's on him, now. No one is feeling sorry for him. No one wants to hear excuses. He just needs to put in the work off the ice so it translates onto it and he's not left sitting next to Nick Deslauriers on the bench for almost the equivalent of an entire period while his teammates try to win a hockey game. 

That's the story.  

 Don't miss Snow The Goalie, live at Chickie's and Pete's every Wednesday at 6PM. The show will broadcast from a different Chickie's and Pete's location every week throughout the Flyers season.  The next show (10/22) will be at Chickie's and Pete's of Warrington, 500, Easton Rd., Warrington, PA.