Postgame RAV4: Michkov, Flyers Roll Past Avalanche

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 3-2, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday evening.

Matvei Michkov paced the attack with two goals. Trevor Zegras collected three assists (first time as a Flyer). In net, Joseph Woll looked sharp in earning his first win as a Flyer.

The Flyers controlled the first 12 minutes of the game. Colorado made a late push. Philly took a 1-0 lead to intermission. Scoring in his third straight game, Michkov (PPG, 5th) bagged a 5-on-4 rebound goal.

Michkov (2nd of the game, 6th of the season) struck again on a seeing eye shot in the second period. Martin Necas (5th) cut the gap to one goal moments after a Colorado power play expired late in the frame.

Noel Acciari (1st) restored a two-goal edge in the third period. T.J. Hughes (2nd) narrowed it back to one goal.

Woll stopped 24 of 26 shots for the win. Mackenzie Blackwood made 21 saves on 24 shots.

The Flyers went 1-for-2 on the power play. They were 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.

Cole Knuble made his NHL debut. His father, Mike, was a two-stint Flyer during his playing days. Mike was in the stands on Monday. The Knubles are the first father-son combination to appear in regular season for the Flyers.

1ST PERIOD

Nathan MacKinnon exploded through the middle on his first shift of the game. He snapped a shot that Woll knocked aside. A Travis Sanheim point shot through traffic was Philly's first shot.

At 5:52, Sean Couturier won a battle down low and centered the puck out to Jacob Gaucher. On the next shift, Trevor Zegras worked a 2-on-1 with Noel Acciari. Blackwood made the save. Shots were 3-3.

At 7:07, Philly went to the first power play. MacKinnon caused his team to have too many men on the ice. Zegras made a good play off the left wall, but the point shot was unscreened. One shift later, the Flyers scored. Zegras made and initial play. Then a Zegras shot rebounded to Michkov with Porter Martone camp in front. Martone appeared to be pushed into the paint. Michkov scored at 7:41. The assists were credited to Barkey and Zegras.

Colorado challenged the play for goalie interference. A long delay ensued. The goal stood and the Avalanche received a delay of game penalty. Philly went right back to the power play.

The Flyers had another 2-on-1. Zegras wasn't quite able to tuck the puck home after the initial save on Acciari. The sequence started with Nazem Kadri missing the net and the puck rimming around to Acciari. 11:30 remained in the period. Shots were 9-4 Flyers.

Acciari had another chance in tight. Shots were now 11-4. An Artturi Lehkonen shot hit the crossbar and then Martin Necas at 15:47.

Colorado also controlled each of the next two shifts. Through 17:54, shots were 12-8 Flyers. 

The Flyers were only charged with two giveaways in the period. MacKinnon won five of six faceoffs for the Avs.

Shots:  Flyers 13 - Avalanche 8

Faceoffs: Flyers  8 -- Avalanche 11

2ND PERIOD

Woll snared an unscreened Brent Burns shot at 2:33 for his first save of the period. Through 5:40, shots were 2-0 Colorado.

Michkov had a golden backhanded chance off a Noah Cates setup. He tucked the puck just wide. Shots were 2-1 Avs through 10:19.

Zegras had a great scoring chance on a Dvorak rebound. As the shift change was completed, Michkov went to work high in the zone. At 12:23. Michkov threaded a shot into the net from distance. The assists went to Zegras and Cates. The puck may have redirected off Josh Manson.

Acciari got trucked on a hit by Makar. Travis Sanheim stood up immediately for his teammate at 15:49 and received a roughing penalty.

The Flyers killed off the penalty. However, just as it expired, Necas shot from up high and found the net. The assists went to Lehkonen and Devon Toews at 17:52.

At 18:43, Woll read a Brock Nelson one timer and came out to make the save.

Shots: Flyers 5 (18 overall) - Avalanche 9 (17  overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 12 (20 overall) - Avalanche 8  (19 overall)

3RD PERIOD

Sean Couturier went off for high-sticking at 42 seconds. Colorado went to their second power play of the game. Woll stopped an in-close chance after a partial block by Acciari. Sanheim had a good shorthanded rush, putting on a burst of speed.

Colorado generated four of the period's first six shots on net.

Philly expanded the net to 3-1 at 6:34. Scoring his first goal as a Flyer, Acciari tipped home Oliver Bon's point shot. The other asist went to Zegras.

Shots for the period were 4-3 Avs through 10:10.

Colorado hemmed the Flyers in their own end on a shift that ended with another clutch save from Woll.

Hughes scored from the right slot at 14:40. Fedor Svechkov and Sam Malinski assisted as Colorado's third line struck against the Cates' line. Jamie Drysdale and Oliver Bonk were the defensemen on the ice.

The Avs pulled Blackwood for a 6-on-5 in the final two minutes. Sanheim took an icing. Michkov, caught on a long shift, iced the puck at 19:07 in going for a long-distance empty netter. Colorado called timeout.

Woll made another save in the final eight seconds. The Flyers hung on for the win.

Shots: Flyers 6 (24 overall) - Avalanche 9 (26 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 13 (33 overall) - Avalanche 6 (25 overall)

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

Trevor Zegras - Christian Dvorak - Noel Acciari
Porter Martone - Noah Cates - Matvei Michkov
Michael Bunting - Sean Couturier - Jacob Gaucher
Alex Bump - Denver Barkey - Cole Knuble

Travis Sanheim - Oliver Bonk
Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale
Hunter McDonald - David Jiricek

Joseph Woll
[Dan Vladar]

POSTGAME RAV4 (RAV 4 Things Revisited)

1. Stacking Shifts

The Flyers did this especially well in the first period. They rolled one effective shift into the next.

2. Shooting Mentality

The Flyers did this very well in the Ottawa game on Saturday and replicated it on Monday.

3. All hands on Deck

With the Flyers riddled with injuries, Monday's lineup had a very young look by necessity.

Bump and Knuble (NHL debut) flanked fellow youngster Barkey. Checking line regulars Bunting and Acciari moved up in the absences of Tyson Foerster and Owen Tippett. Phantoms regular Jacob Gaucher filled the other vacancy up front. Garrett Wilson was the lone healthy scratch among the forwards.

Youngsters Oliver Bonk and David Jiricek remain  in the lineup in the absences of injured Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen. Callup rookie Hunter McDonald entered the lineup. Simon Benoit exited.

4. MacKinnon and Makar

The Flyers held both Nathan MacKinnon (minus-two) and Makar (minus-two) off the board: a rare occurrence for Colorado opponents.