Matvei Michkov absolutely turned heads with his defensive game in the Flyers’ road win over the New Jersey Devils on November 29, 2025. The 20-year-old Russian winger, already a scoring machine with eight goals on the young 2025-26 season (including two in that matchup), showed serious two-way growth that had Flyers fans and analysts buzzing.
- Stick Work and Breakups: Early in the game, Michkov made a sharp read to tie up Devils forward Luke Glendening’s stick as the trailer on a rush, neutralizing a potential odd-man opportunity. He then transitioned seamlessly to offense, setting up a quality shot for a teammate—classic end-to-end impact from a kid still learning the NHL grind.
- Neutral Zone Awareness: He executed a textbook defensive play in the neutral zone, intercepting a pass and nearly converting it into a shorthanded goal himself. This kind of detail-oriented stuff is huge for a young sniper who’s historically been critiqued for defensive lapses (remember those John Tortorella benchings in his 2024-25 rookie year? And previous Rick Tocchet benchings?
- Overall All-Around Domination: At 5-on-5, Michkov was a force, winning puck battles, making smart decisions under pressure, and logging top-six minutes in those situations. One analyst called it potentially his “best game of the season from an all-around standpoint,” crediting his forechecking tenacity that left Devils defenders scrambling.
This builds on his improved defensive track record—his on-ice goals-for percentage at 5v5 sits at a solid 52% this year (14-13), and he’s been praised for hounding pucks without sacrificing his elite offensive edge (he’s up to 5 points in his last 5 games). Sure, he’s drawn a few too many penalties lately, but at his age, this level of maturity is franchise-altering. If he keeps layering in this defensive reliability, Michkov could really be something special for the orange and black.
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