Matvei Michkov's goals weren't enough in OT loss – NBC Sports Philadelphia

Kathleen William October 16, 2024

Matvei Michkov gave the Flyers a 2-0 lead at the first intermission on Tuesday night and they had a 3-2 lead early in the third period.

But the Flyers couldn't stop Connor McDavid and the Oilers as they suffered a 4-3 overtime loss at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

McDavid found a wide-open Leon Draisaitl for the game-winner seconds after coming up empty on a breakaway. The three-time MVP made a few sharp plays to force OT when he found Evan Bouchard with 3:42 left in regulation.

Michkov scored his first career NHL goal and added his second before halftime of the opening stanza. Both were power play markers. Bobby Brink scored the Flyers' second goal, giving the team the lead back just 23 seconds before the end of the second period.

The Flyers are 1-1-1 over four games in this season-opening road trip.

The defending Western Conference champion Oilers picked up their first win. They only scored three goals in a 0-3-0 start and all three defeats came at home.

John Tortorella's club doesn't meet Edmonton again until February 22nd in Philadelphia.

• This was by far Michkov's best performance in three games. What should excite the Flyers most is the variety of looks he can give them on the power play. As Tortorella said of Michkov last month, the Flyers “craved the plays he can make.”

The 19-year-old can do things in so many different ways with his man advantage, and he proved that against the Oilers. For his first goal, he was persistent in pushing the puck past the leg pad of Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner. He scored his second goal with a beautiful shot almost from inside the circle.

He was dangerous on the power play all evening.

Last season, the Flyers' man advantage was 1-for-20 at the start and finished the year at 12.2 percent, the worst in the league. It was the third straight season the club was last in the NHL on the power play. In three games this season, the Flyers' man advantage is 4 to 15. Michkov has scored two of the goals and assisted on another.

The Oilers didn't play smart on Tuesday night, giving the Flyers seven power plays. In a 2-2 game in the second period, the Flyers had 40 seconds to go 5-on-3 and couldn't convert. But Brink scored nine seconds after the end of the second power play.

Head coach John Tortorella spoke to the media following the Flyers' 4-3 overtime loss to the Oilers.

• Samuel Ersson faced Edmonton for the first time in his career and made 29 saves on 33 shots.

The soon-to-be 25-year-old gave the Flyers a good chance of winning.

The Oilers tied the game 2-2 in the second period thanks to goals from Adam Henrique and Connor Brown. Ersson allowed a poor rebound on Henrique's goal, while the Flyers left Brown alone after failing to clear the puck.

Travis Sanheim had a minus-3 rating and Cam York had a minus-2 rating.

Skinner stopped 27 of the Flyers' 30 shots.

• McDavid has wreaked havoc every time the Flyers have visited Rogers Place in the past.

The Flyers were able to limit him until the third period on Tuesday night. He now has 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in nine career home games against the Flyers, who are just 2-6-1 in those matchups.

• Sean Couturier and Joel Farabee had back-to-back battles in the third period.

Couturier signed Troy Stecher after the Flyers captain collided with Skinner (no penalty was assessed).

Two seconds later, Farabee and Corey Perry dropped the gloves after talking quite a bit before a faceoff.

• Some numbers to consider:

The Flyers blocked 21 shots and Garnet Hathaway had a few gutsy shots.

Morgan Frost collected assists for both of Michkov's goals.

Farabee and Brink picked up a point in all three of the Flyers' games.

• After appearing in the Flyers' 6-3 loss to the Flames last Saturday, Jett Luchanko was back in the lineup against Edmonton. He went scoreless in 17 minutes but used his speed at times and did some good things.

• Nick Seeler missed a third straight game after taking a puck to the peroneal nerve in his right leg two weeks ago. The defender of the second pair is taken into account on a day-to-day basis.

• The Flyers end their trip Thursday with a visit to the Kraken (10 p.m. ET/NBCSP).