Instant reactions: Matvei Michkov’s OT winner beats Rangers, Igor Shesterkin

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This ESPN national broadcast between the Metropolitan Division’s sixth and eighth-worst teams in Madison Square Garden began with the New York Rangers honoring the five members of the organization that contributed to Team USA’s gold medal, while silver medalist Travis Sanheim elected to look away from the ceremony.

Through 20 minutes it seemed like the Big Apple celebration would continue, with the Broadway Blueshirts dominating most of the first period and picking right back up to start the second. Alexis Lafreniere made it 2-0 just 83 seconds into the middle frame. But about three minutes into the second a mostly boring game started to get interesting. A great shift from Bobby Brink, Nikita Grebenkin and Carl Grundstrom drew a penalty, and while the Flyers didn’t score, it wasn’t a terrible two minutes. Then, a few minutes later Matvei Michkov drew another power play and finished it off to make it a 2-1 game with his 14th goal of the year. That score would hold until intermission, with the Flyers registering 10 SOG, looking much different than the team that started this game.

It was the Orange & Black who got their second goal early in the period, with Trevor Zegras beating Igor Shesterkin on a 2-on-1 with a wicked wrister to tie it in the first 40 seconds of the third.

First period

Highlight: Rangers fans cheered for their team’s returning gold medalists J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, head coach Mike Sullivan, and assistant coach David Quinn while the famously patriotic Bruce Springsteen anthem “Born in the USA” played over the arena’s sound system. But the first name announced was NYR general manager Chris Drury, who was an Olympic AGM, and the MSG faithful booed. Great scene. Love to see fans like our own.

Beyond that, a fairly boring first period. Adam Fox had a chance on a cross-ice pass in the first 30 seconds on a 3-on-1 that Sam Ersson made an impressive glove save on, his first of a few impressive saves until Sam Carrick threw a puck towards the Flyers’ net from the deep right point that somehow just went through Ersson, who entered the game with the worst save-percentage in the NHL. Classic Ersson. Flash a little athleticism and then give up an inexcusable one. I can’t believe it’s only 1-0.

Carrick also fought Garnet Hathaway and didn’t lose after Hathaway boarded Brennan Othmann. So the 34-year-old journeyman is two-thirds of the way to a Gordie Howe hat trick with 40 minutes left in regulation.

What I want to see next period: I’m rooting for losses, so I’m not begging for the Flyers to really get it going after posting only five shots on goal in the opening period, but if some more STUFF could just happen, I’d appreciate it. Hits, another fight or two, maybe Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras make something happen. Three of the four periods the Flyers have played since returning from the break have been borderline unwatchable, at best.

Second period

Highlight: THE FLYERS SCORED A POWER PLAY GOAL! AND IT WAS MICHKOV! I THINK I’LL WET MY PANTS!

Really nice setup by Noah Cates with time winding down on the penalty, finding Michkov on the far post for a slam dunk. Michkov laid into it with two seconds left on the man advantage for his third PPG of the season, perhaps remembering how he was robbed 24 hours ago by Logan Thompson on a similar setup from Bobby Brink. This time, he finished emphatically.

That’s also back-to-back games with points for Cates, who went into the Olympic break on a six-game point drought, and ended an 18-game goalless streak in Washington last night.

What I want to see next period: NO OVERTIME. If you’re going to tie this thing, then win it in regulation. We’ve seen 18 OT games this season and I don’t need to see any more.

Third period

Highlight: Trevor Zegras ties it 39 seconds into the third period. Travis Konecny sprung a 2-on-1 with a nice subtle play to force the puck into the neutral zone, finding Zegras. Ziggy had help on the rush with Christian Dvorak on the left wing, but the New York native scored his 21st of the year by ripping a wrister over Shesterkin’s far shoulder. Crazy how dangerous a skilled lefty coming down the right wing can be on the rush…

Anyway, Michkov drove the net in the final minute of regulation and ran over Shesterkin, giving the Rangers the chance to run the clock down with the score tied at two. The Flyers finally touched up with nine seconds left, but New York will get a 4v3 power play for 1:51 to start overtime.

Overtime

Highlight: Of course we’re getting OT, the one thing I didn’t want. Philly has lost eight straight post-regulation (4 OT, 4 SO), and has sucked in the 3v3 all season. So, I’m expecting a useless loser point, even after the Flyers kill the penalty. HOLY HELL! NOPE! MICHKOV WINS IT IN OT! OUT OF THE BOX, ONTO THE BOARD!

Final note: The Rangers recorded nine shots on goal in the first 11 minutes of the game, and then with under 10 minutes left in the third period they’d recorded eight more since then. There needs to be an investigation.

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