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Matvei Michkov prevents a goal… from his own teammate

Michaël Petit
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Matvei Michkov prevents a goal… from his own teammate
Credit: One thing is for sure, Matvei Michkov is full of talent. His 27 points in 30 games in his rookie season demonstrate this well. However, he has often been criticized for his defensive game and his behavior. And on this Saturday afternoon, during a matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Minnesota Wild, Michkov seems […]
One thing is for sure, Matvei Michkov is full of talent.

His 27 points in 30 games in his rookie season demonstrate this well.

However, he has often been criticized for his defensive game and his behavior.

And on this Saturday afternoon, during a matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Minnesota Wild, Michkov seems to have taken notes on defensive play.

He even prevented a sure goal… from his own teammate Travis Konecny.

Incredible…

John Tortorella has probably talked to him about his shortcomings, and Michkov probably misunderstood his coach.

He prevented a goal and it was well thought out… if it wasn’t his teammate who was about to score.

As Pete Blackburn succinctly stated in his retweet above: “And people say he’s not good defensively.”

The defensive IQ of the Russian may not be very high.

Following this game, the excellent page Big Head Hockey published a summary of his performance this afternoon.

“He’s doing things that no one thought were possible in the NHL.”

I love this comment.

-1 goal and -2 plus/minus, that’s something…

Michkov’s defensive game: another dilemma to solve for Tortorella.

Maybe he will have to give up this battle, just as he has given up the debate over Michigan goals.

At least, Torts can count on the offensive contributions of his young protégé, even if he does not have a candidate for the Frank J. Selke Trophy (best defensive forward).


In brief

– Good news for the Laval Rocket.

– We’re getting attached, everyone.

– We can expect a big tournament for Schaefer who has strong reasons for competition.

– Worth reading.

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