After the Philadelphia Flyers and coach John Tortorella parted ways after three uneventful seasons, rookie forward Matvei Michkov has emerged as a bright spot for the franchise. Despite uncertainty surrounding the team`s future, Michkov`s performance offers a positive outlook.
Michkov has been on a scoring spree, amassing four goals and three assists in his last three games, including two games with two goals each.
In a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Monday, Michkov contributed two assists, equaling Peter Zezel`s record for the sixth-most multi-point games (18) by a Flyers rookie. He also joined Eric Lindros (1992-93), Larry Goodenough (1975-76), and Bill Barber (1972-73) in a tie for the ninth-most assists (34) by a Flyers rookie.
Selected as the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Michkov is currently playing his first season in North America after being released from his KHL contract last summer. He currently holds the second position among NHL rookies in points (58), trailing only Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (62).
Michkov showcased his scoring ability with a two-goal game in a 7-4 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, opening the scoring in an high-scoring contest.
Just 5:27 into the game against Buffalo, Flyers defenseman Egor Zemula blocked a Sabres shot, initiating a fast break for Philadelphia. Travis Konecny picked up the loose puck and skated two-on-one with Michkov. Michkov received the puck near the red line, entered the offensive zone, and fired a precise shot past Sabres goalie Ukko Pekka-Luukkonen.
The second period saw another goal from the Konecny-Michkov duo. At 10:36, Flyers captain Sean Couturier freed the puck and passed to Konecny, who quickly sent it to Michkov. Michkov, speeding ahead, backhanded the puck over Pekka-Luukkonen`s shoulder.
Michkov is currently on a six-game point streak, during which he has accumulated four goals and six assists.
The Flyers` forward is making a strong push for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL`s best rookie. While Lane Hutson is currently favored, Michkov is not far behind offensively and is proving to be a crucial component of Philadelphia`s future, regardless of the award outcome.
The NHL points race is intensifying as the regular season nears its end. Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning is a leading contender, consistently adding to his point total.
Kucherov recently concluded an eight-game point streak, accumulating five goals and 14 assists.
Across 71 games this season, Kucherov has amassed 111 points (33 goals, 78 assists), positioning him just three points behind Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche in the league`s point standings (114). Kucherov, who won the Art Ross Trophy as the previous season`s points leader, has scored in four of his last six games and achieved four consecutive multi-assist games before Thursday`s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In Saturday`s 5-3 win against the New York Islanders, Victor Hedman found Kucherov open in the neutral zone, leading to a goal. Kucherov accelerated towards the net, received the puck, and fired a shot that deflected off the post and into the net.
Later in the same game, with Tampa Bay leading 3-0, Kucherov turned playmaker. In the second period`s final seconds, Kucherov received a pass from Brandon Hagel in the face-off circle. Instead of shooting, he passed to Brayden Point for an easy goal.
Projecting his current pace, Kucherov is on track to reach 128 points this season, which would be his second-highest career total in his 11 years in the league. He has already secured his fourth consecutive 100-point season after achieving 144 points in 2023-24.
Kucherov`s playmaking has been particularly notable recently, positioning him as a strong competitor against MacKinnon for the points lead as the regular season concludes.
As the New York Rangers navigate the final weeks of the regular season, striving for a playoff spot, Adam Fox has been a consistent and vital presence on their defense.
Fox ranks second on the Rangers in points (56) and assists (47), and leads the team in power-play assists (16). The experienced defenseman has recorded three goals and one assist in his last three games, including a two-goal performance in a 6-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
Against San Jose, Fox scored his first goal thanks to excellent puck movement. Mika Zibanejad passed to Brennan Othmann, who then set up Fox for a shot that beat Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev.
With the Rangers leading 4-0, Fox scored again. J.T. Miller attempted to sweep the puck in, and it deflected off Georgiev near the goal line. Fox tapped in the loose puck for an easy goal.
Fox has become more offensively involved recently, taking nine shots in his last three games.
As the Rangers aim for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, Fox`s offensive contributions will likely be crucial down the stretch.
Jordan Binnington has maintained exceptional performance since the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this season, playing a crucial role for the St. Louis Blues as they compete for a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
Since the 4 Nations Face-Off, Binnington has achieved a 10-2-0 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
The Blues` goalie has conceded only three goals in his last three games, all of which resulted in Blues victories. In his most recent start, Binnington saved 20 of 21 shots in a 2-1 overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
Binnington has allowed two or fewer goals in nine of his 13 games since the 4 Nations Face-Off concluded, and has won six consecutive starts.
The Blues have achieved an 11-game winning streak since March 15. Binnington`s elite play has come at an opportune time for St. Louis as they battle for a playoff berth late in the season.
Elton Marrow 
Torin Vale