Flyers Focus: Michkov, LeBron and More

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Jason Myrtetus and I are back at it with this week’s “Mondays with Meltzer” edition of Flyers Daily. We discuss Matvei Michkov’s Michigan goal and hat trick performance in an offseason charity game in Russia this past weekend. In and of itself, a July hat trick in a no-checking exhibition game doesn’t mean much of anything. However, the lacrosse-style goal was a particularly nifty one because it showed some of the player’s resourcefulness and creativity.

The opposing goalie immediately figured out what Michkov planned to do. He covered the top part of the net. Therefore, Michkov came up with a Plan B. He delived the puck lower to an open area. Pure instinct and spontaneous reaction.

Does the summer hockey goal have any bearing on “real hockey” once the season roll around? No.

However, does it underscore how much fun Michkov can be to watch? Absolutely! It also shows how much we miss having hockey to discuss.

In this episode, Jason and I discuss the “LeBron Effect” on Philadelphia sports. It’s never a bad thing when the city draw attention for one of its athletes or sports teams. Whether it’s LeBron James, the initial Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber signings or what have you, there are no drawbacks for the local sports scene on the whole.

Think back just a couple years to the Phillies’ run to the 2022 World Series. It electrified the entire city, even on Flyers’ game days that overlapped Phils’ games. As with any sport, the LeBron signing carries zero guarantees of a championship. It just makes anticipation of the journey fun and raises hopes to reach the destination. Enjoy the ride, wherever it leads.

Turning back to hockey, we discuss the need for a championship caliber team to have at least one of a true No. 1 center or an elite No. 1 defenseman. It’s possible to win without one. However, it’s extremely difficult to contend without either.