Matvei Michkov helps the Flyers beat the Sharks 4-3 in a shootout

PHILADELPHIA – Matvei Michkov had a goal and an assist and then scored in the shootout to lift the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-3 victory over the Sharks on Monday night.

Michkov returned to the lineup after being a healthy substitute in two straight games.

Travis Konecny ​​​​and Erik Johnson also scored goals for the Flyers, who had lost three of four games.

Mikael Granlund had a goal and an assist for the Sharks. William Eklund and Barclay Goodrow also scored for San Jose in regulation time.

After both teams missed their first shots in the tiebreak, Michkov switched from backhand to forehand to beat Vitek Vanecek. Konecny ​​​​then secured the victory with a shot high over Vanecek.

Only Nashville (11 points) and Montreal (10) started with fewer points than San Jose and Philadelphia, with each starting player having 12 points.

Michkov was the No. 7 pick in the 2023 draft from Russia. The 19-year-old forward was scratched on Philadelphia’s recent road trip to Florida by coach John Tortorella, who appeared to be unhappy with the rookie’s play away from the puck in recent games.

Samuel Ersson made 28 saves for the Flyers. Vanecek had 40 stops.

Takeaways

Sharks: San Jose has been outscored 59-40 this season.

Flyers: Philadelphia is clearly the better offensive team with Michkov in the lineup.

Key moment

After Johnson scored the first goal, Givani Smith clashed with Michkov after a faceoff. Johnson quickly intervened and defended the rookie, dropping the gloves along with Smith. The Flyers continued to fight, scoring the next two goals and taking a 3-0 lead.

Key statistics

Michkov has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 14 games.

Next

The Sharks continue their four-game road trip through the East at the Rangers on Thursday. Philadelphia plays in Ottawa on Thursday.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL