The relationship between Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet and rising star Matvei Michkov has been under a microscope all season. Even in the early stages of the offseason, the conversation continues and has even grown louder.
On Tuesday, via translator Slava Kuznetsov, Michkov described his relationship with the Flyers coach as "A working relationship; a good relationship."
The conversation had died out as Michkov had a really strong end to the regular season, but after a Game 5 scratch in Round 1 of the postseason, their relationship was put under an even stronger lens of the microscope. He returned to the lineup and played every game until Game 4 of Round 2 against the Hurricanes, where he was a healthy scratch once again.
Again, via Kuznetsov, Michkov talked about being a healthy scratch, saying, "It was a coach's decision. I am player that should go on the ice and do my job. If the coach decides that I have to miss the game, I have to take it. I have to go back on the ice and train."
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On Wednesday, Tocchet talked about the decision for the first time since he made it.
"I wanted to get more speed in the lineup ," Tocchet said. "It's not like everybody was on point in their game. I'm not going to single him out. There are a couple of guys that struggled, and it just at that moment, as a coaching staff, we talked to other people in the organization, and we just felt they needed a little fresh air in that sense."
Tocchet understands that Michkov is still young. He doesn't want all of the pressure of the world on his 21-year-old sophomore season forward. "It's his first playoff run. He's a second-year player. I think if it happened to another young guy, nobody really is saying anything. It's the pressure of that. We've just got to let the kid breathe ."
Still, Tocchet is impressed with the young forward and the season he had. "I think he's made a lot of strides ," said Tocchet.
The Flyers coach talked about Michkov's mentality, and he loves it. "He skated yesterday. It's pretty cool. I wanted to take a break, but I'm not going to tell him what to do . For him to go shoot pucks yesterday, it's almost like a vengeance tour. I love that, and I think every player should have that motivation in their head to prove anybody wrong."
Tocchet's message was clear. Michkov is still very much a young, developing player. He is still evolving into the player that the Flyers beleive he can be. What remains unclear is whether Tocchet's decision to scratch him in Game 4 was punishment or protection. No matter what, Michkov's response shows his ignited competitiveness and determination, something that every coach wants to see.
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The post 'Just Let the Kid Breathe': Tocchet Talks Michkov, the Game 4 Scratch, & His Mentality appeared first on Philly Hockey Now .
