Matvei Michkov proves the Flyers can’t have nice things

I’ve never had so much difficulty writing about this team. Don’t get me wrong, it’s easy to post about this team. Pithy and breviloquent remarks that are intended to air grievances? There’s more than ample opportunity for those. But longform pieces that require critical thinking? It’s been remarkably hard. Harder than it should be.

One would think that it would be exciting to write about a talent like Matvei Michkov. I should be covering one of the most hotly contested Calder Trophy races in decades between him and Celebrini, as well as Lane Hutson. I should be in heated debates with Sharks and Habs fans.

I should be lending my polemic skill to mowing down Calder Trophy arguments rather than mocking Danny for failing to close his shower door or decrying Torts’ latest actions as a menace to society.

Instead, I can’t do that. Because John Tortorella has singlehandedly killed Michkov’s Calder candidacy. He’s sucked the joy out of this team, and turned them into an empty vessel of “hahdness”.

In exchange for killing joy at genocidal rates, don’t expect a team that wins hockey games. The Flyers are firmly in hockey purgatory. Oh, sure, they’re picking 10th-11th right now, but expect them to sink another few spots in the draft lottery with a softer part of their schedule on the horizon.

In one of the more disgusting displays of brutal ass kissing I’ve ever seen, some beat reporter who identified himself as working on a piece for The Hockey News asked a series of leading questions that essentially amounts to: “John Tortorella, why are you wonderful? Why are you the greatest thing to ever happen to young players, and why are you Matvei Michkov’s savior?”

If you really want to listen to that slimy exchange, here you are. I hope he got the quotes for his blatantly absurd puff piece. If he didn’t, it’s pretty sad, because the next step is shoving his arm up Tort’s ass so far that he can move his mouth like a puppet until he gets those precious quotes.

The Hockey News will surely do some drive by piece about how wonderful John Tortorella has been for the career of Matvei Michkov, because they don’t live the day-by-day. They don’t follow this team with any regularity. How the hell would they know what’s what? They wouldn’t, and they don’t.

Instead, let’s go over the reality of what’s actually happening. The Flyers have a player who can compete for the first Calder Trophy in franchise history based on his ability, even despite this being one of the better races in recent history. Tortorella talks so much about “getting respect from the league,” but this could do it.

They could be the darlings of the league, but he doesn’t want to do that. Instead, he wants to piss and moan about “play away from the puck,” while the team blows and has continued to blow incessantly for 3 years under his… sublime tutelage.

He talks about how he can’t play Michkov while they’re holding 1 goal leads, but look at the results that they produce while playing with 1 goal leads.

At 5 on 5, while leading by a goal, the Flyers produce a 49% expected goal share and have been outscored 10-19 for a 34% actual goal share.

While they’re tied, they produce a 48% expected goal share and have been outscored 28-40 for a 41% actual goal share.

When they’re down 1, they explode for a 53% expected goal share and outscore teams 22-15.

In all situations where they’re trailing, the Flyers take it a step up and produce a 56% expected goal share and outscore teams 38-26. They lead the league in 5v5 goals while trailing. They are 7th in goal share while trailing.

The Flyers turtle up when they have a lead, and they get shelled. When they’re put on the back foot and forced to play real hockey, they explode and produce results akin to a top-10 NHL squad. What’s the difference? I can tell you a big one.

When the Flyers are up 1, Matvei Michkov plays 2:05 a game at 5v5. Third lowest among all regulars to Bobby Brink and Morgan Frost, who are in the same neighborhood.

When the Flyers are tied, Matvei Michkov plays 3:46 a game at 5v5. That’s 7th lowest among all forwards. It’s not terrible. It’s not where we should be.

When the Flyers are trailing, Matvei Michkov is 4th among Flyers forwards in ice time.

Now, the difference in the quality of the Flyers’ play when they’re trailing isn’t entirely attributable to Michkov’s personal numbers in that game state. Since December, the peak of this behavior, his numbers have been stellar, but not enough to account for the entire difference.

I’m not claiming that is the difference. Instead, I’m claiming Michkov’s ice time is a byproduct of a change in philosophy. When the Flyers are trailing, Tortorella feels comfortable allowing the team to play actual hockey.

And the Flyers reap the benefit. Without being artificially restrained by the onus to never make a mistake, the team can actually focus on winning their minutes. Tortorella is so focused on defending the lead that he actually just relinquishes the lead because he forces the Flyers to turtle up and wait to be preyed upon.

Perhaps Tortorella would argue that he has to do everything in his power to “make it easier on their goalies.”

But does life look particularly easy for the goalies in any single case? Maybe the goalies just aren’t good, regardless of how peachy or downtrodden life is at the particular time.

Beyond that, who the hell cares if life is peachy for the goalies? This is a rebuilding team trying to develop their skaters, no? So why are they being forced to turtle up and do nothing every time they happen to get a goal over the opponent?

Until John Tortorella has anything approaching a decent answer to that question, he should not be coaching this hockey team. Or he and Daniel Briere should both walk to that podium, and admit they’re lying to fans about this organization being in a rebuild.

This nonsensical treatment of Matvei Michkov is emblematic of a multitude of problems with this organization, and how it’s run. And it’s proof positive that the Flyers can’t have nice things.

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