Matvei Michkov Scratched for Game 5 as Flyers Fall 3-2
matvei michkov was scratched for Game 5, and the Philadelphia Flyers went with Alex Bump instead against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rick Tocchet made the move after Michkov went pointless through the first four playoff games, a run that forced a lineup change in a game the Flyers still needed to manage carefully.
The Penguins won 3-2 on Monday evening in Steeltown and staved off elimination for a second consecutive game. For Philadelphia, the decision turned one rookie’s quiet start into a direct roster call in a playoff setting, with the coaching staff choosing production over patience for one night.
Alex Bump in Game 5
Bump opened the scoring for the Flyers and finished with four shots on net and two hits in 15:29 of ice time. That gave Philadelphia at least one early push from the replacement spot, even if the night ended with Pittsburgh taking the result.
The move also shifted the rest of the forward group. The Flyers moved Tyson Foerster down alongside Noah Cates for Game 5, while Denver Barkey moved up to the top trio with Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett. Those were the direct lineup changes around Michkov’s scratch.
Michkov’s first four games
Michkov never played more than 11:25 in any of the first four playoff games, and he logged 17:40 across Games 2 and 3 combined. He finished the season with 20 goals and 51 points in 81 games after being selected seventh overall in 2023.
The scratch came after a postseason start that produced no points, and it came with the Flyers still trying to win games in a rebuilding year where the playoffs changed the standard. Two executives from other NHL teams agreed with the decision after watching that first stretch, while Sidney Crosby and the Penguins kept Philadelphia from closing the door in Game 5.
Flyers’ Lineup Choice
Philadelphia had scored two goals in each of its previous two losses, so the change placed more weight on immediate offense than on waiting for Michkov to break through. With the season now in playoff mode, the Flyers used Game 5 to reshuffle the middle and top lines around the player who replaced him.
