Will Smith, meet the new Prince of Rap.

After being a healthy scratch for two gamesMatvei Michkov returned to the Flyers lineup Monday night against the San Jose Sharks with a vengeance. He recorded his fourth multi-point game with his second-period goal, but also took a tough penalty late in regulation, hitting Macklin Celebrini after it appeared the 2024 No. 1 pick had knocked the stick out of his hands. .

In overtime, the Flyers, led by Noah Cates and goaltender Sam Ersson, masterfully shut down the Sharks’ power play despite four shots on goal. Michkov and Travis Konecny ​​scored in the penalty shootout to seal a 4-3 victory.

” READ MORE: Matvei Michkov returns to the Flyers lineup after two games as a healthy scratch. Did you learn from the ‘process’?

Facing a Sharks team that had five wins on the season entering Tuesday’s game, coach John Tortorella was looking to see how his team would respond after being on a three-game road trip.

“Are you ready to play after the long trip?” he said before the team’s morning skate. “I think we’re starting to find ourselves and I hope we can do it another night.”

The Flyers showed they can play with intensity, but had lulls when they let a 3-0 lead slip away. The victory gives them points in three consecutive games (2-0-1), each decided by penalty kicks.

In his 998th NHL game, Erik Johnson got things going one minute and 40 seconds into the game. The grizzled blueliner teamed up with Anthony Richard in a two-on-one and buried the puck for his first goal of the year and the 94th of his career.

In the next matchup at center ice, he dropped the gloves with Givani Smith after the Sharks forward chased Michkov, appearing to throw a punch, as they waited for the puck to drop.

The work seemed to awaken the 19-year-old phenomenon.

Later in the period, on a power play, Michkov fed Konecny ​​for a time as he fell to the inside edge of the right faceoff circle. The work of Owen Tippett and Emil Andrae, who is on the top power play with Jamie Drysdale place on injured reserve with an upper body injury earlier in the day, on the left side of the ice he helped keep the puck in and allowed the Flyers to control the zone.

” READ MORE: Q&A: Former midfielder Jeremy Roenick professes love for Philadelphia ahead of Hall of Fame induction: ‘We just agree’

Michkov scored his first goal with a five-on-five in the second half; He has an even goal, but scored it during a delayed penalty against the Minnesota Wild. Egor Zamula stripped the puck from the Sharks’ Will Smith and fed Ryan Poehling, who hit Michkov with the stretch pass. He scored his fifth goal of the season past Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek to give the Flyers a 3-0 lead.

The Sharks scored a pair of goals in the second period to make it a one-goal game. William Eklund’s center pass entered Jack Thompson’s skate as it crashed into the net. Mikael Granlund made it 3-2 from the right circle on a screen.

Barclay Goodrow, who took off the gloves with Nick Seeler in the second period, scored in the third to tie the score at 3-3. He hit the puck from the right circle and Johnson defended it.

Getaways

The Flyers took 42 shots on goal. … Center Morgan Frost was healthy for the first time this season. …Forward Nick Deslauriers was also healthy. … Veteran Flyers combat engineer and warrior Sergeant Josh Chilcote had his service dog, Turbo, drop the ceremonial puck. They were joined on the ice by SEAC John Wayne Troxell, U.S. Army (Ret.), the third senior enlisted advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha, US Army (Ret.), awarded the Medal of Honor.

Next

The Flyers head north of the border to play the Ottawa Senators on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).