WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Rest does Matvei Michkov good.
On Saturday, the Flyers phenom was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for February. It is his second honor this season after also having won it in October.
Michkov led all rookies with 10 points (five goals, five assists) in seven games and has looked refreshed since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
“It was a struggle for him for quite a while, certainly not through lack of effort,” coach John Tortorella said. “See, I don’t think it’s physical, I think it’s mental. I think the break helped him. That line has kind of grown on each other and has given us some offense. So it’s good.”
Michkov has iterated as much, saying recently through a team translator that he “needed the pause, especially for the head.”
While he didn’t register a point in three of the first four games before the mid-month break, he did score two goals against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Feb. 4.
The Flyers restarted on Feb. 22, and he has been on a tear ever since.
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Across the three games since the Flyers returned from break, the Russian winger has notched eight points (three goals, five assists), with multiple points in each game.
On Thursday night against Pittsburgh, he had two goals and an assist for his third three-point and fourth multigoal game of the season.
Michkov entered Saturday leading all rookies in goals (19), even-strength points (29), power-play goals (seven) and points (15). He’s tied with Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens for first in points (44).
“I don’t know how he feels about the award. It’s the first I’ve heard of it. I don’t know how he feels about it, ” Tortorella said Saturday before the Flyers took on the Winnipeg Jets.
“My job is just to keep coaching him no matter what’s going good, what’s going bad for him. It’s been a very good year, him coming over earlier than we thought. It’s been a really productive year, as far as teaching him what it is to be a pro, eating habits, conditioning, all the things, playing away from the puck. There are so many things that have gone into him, and he’s handled so very well.”