NHL names Flyers' Matvei Michkov Rookie of the Month for October
Matvei Michkov may be turning heads in Philadelphia, but the Flyers' rookie winger caught the attention of the NHL.
On Friday, the NHL named the 19-year-old the Rookie of the Month for October after he led all rookies with four goals and nine points.
Michkov's earlier-than-expected arrival in North America generated excitement in Philadelphia not felt since Eric Lindros in the early 1990s. He showed the hype was warranted in preseason and that success carried over to the season's first month.
The Russian sensation led NHL rookies with four goals, nine points, three power-play goals, three power-play assists, six power-play points and a shooting percentage of 20%. His five assists and 20 shots on goal ranked third among rookies in October.
Michkov had three multi-point games in October, including on Oct. 15, when he registered his first two career goals. He became the first Flyer since Vinny Prospal in 1997 to score his first two goals in the same game.
One area Michkov has almost singlehandedly transformed is the Philadelphia power play, which had finished last in the NHL in the last two seasons. His six power-play points have helped the Flyers to a middle-of-the-road PP unit (20.5%) after the first month.
The last Flyer named an NHL Rookie of the Month was James van Riemsdyk in November 2009.
The Flyers are 4-6-1 and winners of their last two games. Their next game is a 1 p.m. contest against the Boston Bruins at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.