Flyers loss showed the best and worst of a still improving Matvei Michkov

WINNIPEG — Hello there, Matvei Michkov.

After taking time away from hockey during the 4 Nations Face-Off — “I needed the pause, especially for the head,” he said through a team translator last Saturday — Michkov has looked rejuvenated and refreshed on and off the ice since the NHL season restarted Feb. 22.

Of course, there are still moments where he looks like the 20-year-old rookie that he is.

Thursday’s game, a 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburg Penguins, was a prime example of the special things he can do with the puck and the areas of his game where he still struggles. Here is one positive and one negative from his 58th NHL game.

» READ MORE: What will the Flyers do ahead of the trade deadline? Here’s where Scott Laughton, Ramus Ristolainen, and others stand.

Across the three games since the Flyers returned from break, Michkov has notched eight points (three goals, five assists), with each game being a multi-pointer. Extend back a bit further and he has 10 points in his last five games. Thursday night against Pittsburgh he had two goals and an assist, for his third three-point and fourth multi-goal game of the season.

Not too shabby.

Michkov showed off his quick hands in the second period by stopping a hard ricochet and spinning the puck around the post for his first of the night. He added a power-play goal with a wrist shot from just above the left circle later in the period.

Things are trending up again for the youngster, who is back in the Calder Trophy chatter after he retook the rookie lead in goals (19) and power-play goals (seven) and tied Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson in points (44).

Before the game on Feb. 6 against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, in which Michkov scored a pair of goals, he had just three goals and seven points in the previous 21 games since the holiday break. He appeared sluggish and tired and unable to keep up.

But in the last five games, including the ones against the Capitals and Penguins before the break, he has looked more like his early-season self. In his first 25 games of the season, he had 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists); in the next eight, he had just three assists.

Michkov looks rested and refreshed and that’s good news for the Flyers.

It’s bound to happen, after all, he is just 20 years old and in his first NHL season. On Thursday night, Michkov was on the ice for the final three goals by the Penguins, including the overtime winner.

Considering how Michkov started defensively and how he’s been playing lately, it has been transformative. He entered Friday tied with Montreal’s Nick Suzuki with eight points since the 4 Nations break but what’s more impressive is he is tied with Boone Jenner of the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues forward Jake Neighbors for second in the NHL in plus-minus (plus-6).

» READ MORE: Sean Couturier has taken on a teaching role with linemate Matvei Michkov and it’s paying dividends

It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Yes, before the game against Pittsburgh on Thursday, Michkov and his linemates, Sean Couturier and Owen Tippett, were outscoring opponents 6-0 when skating together. But remember, Michkov was a healthy scratch for a pair of games in early November because he was a minus-8 over his first 13 games.

In the next 15 games, he was plus-13 (while also tallying 17 points), but in the 25 games after that, from Dec. 13 to Feb. 6, he was a team-worst minus-20. Gulp.

Mistakes happen, and while you can’t lay the blame for all of those Penguins goals at the Russian’s feet, he will be the first to tell you he wasn’t happy with the game-winner on Thursday night by Evgeni Malkin.

“It’s unfortunate we lost. In overtime, the goal was not good,” he said via translator. “A little bit of a miscommunication, and with players like Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby you cannot make a mistake.”

On the OT winner, Michkov switched off, taking a wide turn — as if he was thinking about changing — and vacating the middle of the ice for Kris Letang and Malkin to break in two-on-one. Michkov quickly realized his mistake and tried to back-check, but it was too late to prevent Malkin from scoring.

Michkov’s power-play goal against Pittsburgh came after Bokondji Imama was called for interference. It should have been more than a minor penalty after the Penguins forward blindsided Garnet Hathaway with a shoulder-to-shoulder hit away from the puck. It came after Hathaway made a hard but clean hit on Noel Acciari when he had the puck 7 seconds earlier.

Originally called a major, it was downsized after review.

“The explanation was it was not a hit to the head on the hit, that he hit his head on the ice, and that’s why there’s a two-minute penalty,” coach John Tortorella said. “It’s probably one of the dirtiest hits I’ve seen in quite a while; that’s why he hits his head on the ice.

“I believe we should be thinking about what really happened on the hit, not get glued on a hit to the head originally. That’s a dangerous, cheap hit. [Referee Frederick L’Ecuyer] gave me an explanation, and I understand the explanation, but I don’t understand how you end up with two minutes on probably one of the dirtiest hits I’ve seen in quite a while.”

Asked later if he thought there was intent to injure, Tortorella said: “I don’t. I don’t think the player is trying to hurt a player. I’m certainly not going to accuse him of that. It’s a cheap hit, though.”

Hathaway’s teammates, notably defenseman Nick Seeler, tried to go after Imama but were held back by the officials. A team source has confirmed the Athletic’s report that test results came back negative. Hathaway “seems to be in a decent place,” they said.