The Flyers lost 3-2 in overtime in Edmonton last night, but the response to the Matvei Michkov drama was real.
Two days earlier, the Michkov and Nick Seeler bench clash in Vancouver was still the talk of Philadelphia. Then came a visit to the Oilers, the top team in the NHL standings. Most fans expected a quiet night.
They got a game instead. The Flyers outshot Edmonton 13-6 in the first period, yet trailed 2-1 after two. Tristan Jarry made 30 saves, and Evan Bouchard ended it in overtime.
Travis Sanheim tied it at 2 in the third, after Edmonton challenged for goaltender interference and lost. That's the kind of break a team gets when it keeps pushing.
Tyson Foerster scored on the power play too. It was only his fourth goal of the season, but it looked like the Foerster of old: quick release, no hesitation.
Michkov, reportedly trade-curious, played 20:44 and set up the Sanheim goal. He didn't register a shot on goal, but he stayed in the game.
J. Hall wrote that, considering the drama around the team, the Flyers had a pretty good response and earned a well-deserved point:
Danny Briere also spoke to the team before the game, according to Kurz and the beat writers. Hours earlier, the GM had told Frank Seravalli there was no plan to trade Michkov.
Kurz said he couldn't imagine that meeting was all sunshine and rainbows, but the Flyers at least looked like they were responding:
Does a good loss mean anything for the Flyers?
It means the room didn't fold. That counts for something after what happened in Vancouver.
It doesn't change the standings. Philadelphia is 5-10-6, 28th in the NHL, and 1-4-6 in one-goal games. A team that keeps losing these games needs a finish, not another strong effort.
The road trip sits at 1-1-2 with one game left.
There was also a cost. Noel Acciari left in the second period with an upper-body injury and did not return, so the lineup could look different Saturday.
Next up is a trip to Columbus, a Blue Jackets team that sits 29th in the league and is coming off a 4-1 loss to the Panthers. The Flyers have a chance to turn a moral victory into two points.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Flyers trade Matvei Michkov despite the strong response in Edmonton?
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