Category: Sports News

Michkov scores two goals, including overtime winner, as Flyers beat Rangers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NEW YORK — The Flyers rallied from a 2-0 deficit Thursday night to pick up a 3-2 win over the Rangers in overtime at Madison Square Garden.

Matvei Michkov buried the game-winner with his second goal of the night.

“He had some confidence yesterday,” Rick Tocchet said. “He’s getting some confidence here.”

This was the 19th overtime for Tocchet’s club. The Flyers improved to 3-8 in OT and 8-11 after regulation.

Trevor Zegras scored the Flyers’ other goal. It was his 21st of the season and it tied the game at 2-2 just 39 seconds into the third period.

“We’ve done it all year where we’ve had some slow starts, give up the first goal and just keep battling back,” Travis Konecny said.

The Flyers (26-21-11) split their back-to-back set out of the Olympic break. They fell Wednesday night to the Capitals, 3-1.

They were able to capitalize on a Rangers (22-29-7) team that is retooling. The Flyers improved to 1-1-1 against New York this season. The clubs have one more meeting in a week and a half at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

• Samuel Ersson converted 23 saves on 25 shots.

He had a huge stop in overtime as the Flyers were on the penalty kill. Michkov was in the penalty box for a tough goalie interference penalty. He was making a play to the net late in regulation.

New York’s game-opening goal in the first period was one Ersson definitely wanted back.

“I think after letting that goal in, him digging in, I think he should have a lot of confidence,” Tocchet said. “We told him, that’s going to happen, those goals like that.”

Sam Carrick threw a shot from the side boards that squeaked through the Flyers’ goaltender. It was a bad one for Ersson, who was pretty sharp at puck drop. He made an outstanding stop on Adam Fox just 27 seconds into the action.

“He was fantastic,” Zegras said. “The save that he made on Fox in the first four minutes, the penalty kill in overtime — he was amazing.

“When that first one goes in, he made so many ridiculous saves that, like, it didn’t even matter.”

The Rangers extended their lead to 2-0 early in the second period. The Flyers had a defensive breakdown when they left Alexis Lafreniere alone in the slot.

But Michkov, Zegras and the Flyers chipped away. Michkov drew them to within 2-1 a little over halfway through the game with a power play goal.

“He had two big goals for us,” Konecny said. “Obviously the overtime one, but I thought the first one was a timely one. It kind of helped us calm down and get us back into it. He’s playing great, he looked fast, he looked confident with the puck.”

New York netminder Igor Shesterkin stopped 21 of the Flyers’ 24 shots.

More: Michkov says he has same goal as Tocchet, but admits ‘new role’ has been adjustment

• With 24 games left and three more to go before next Friday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Flyers are eight points back of the third-place Islanders in the Metropolitan Division race.

“All playoff type of games for us,” Zegras said. “We have to do something special down the stretch to get in and we all know that.”

Before the season, the Flyers didn’t want to be in selling mode come the deadline. And while they’re not expected to be major sellers, you’ve got to think they might look to subtract a piece or two.

“We talked to the players today, we want to give people reasons to keep people together, to stay here,” Tocchet said before the game. “I’ve been in the game for 40 years, if you want to be together, then play harder and things like that. That’s the message.”

• The Flyers showed some resolve.

“I thought it was a gutsy effort,” Tocchet said.

This was their 16th comeback, with six of them coming in the third period.

“We’ve been in a lot of these type of games, close games,” Tocchet said. “It’s a big two points for us.”

They badly needed some of their top offensive weapons to start delivering and those guys did.

“To get Matvei and Zegras to score, that’s big for us,” Tocchet said. “We need those guys to score for us.”

• After being a healthy scratch for the last six games, Emil Andrae drew back into the lineup for Noah Juulsen.

The 24-year-old defenseman was solid in third-pair minutes.

• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they welcome the Bruins (3 p.m. ET/ABC).

“A bunch of must-wins, we’ve got to make up some ground,” Noah Cates said. … “Just huge games everywhere.”

The 2026 NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, as it is just over a week away. With this, trade activity around the NHL is certainly going to pick up.

The Montreal Canadiens are undoubtedly a team to keep an eye on, as they should be looking to add to their roster. Due to this, let's look at two players from the Columbus Blue Jackets who the Canadiens should consider targeting if the Metropolitan Division club ends up being sellers.

Charlie Coyle, C

The Canadiens could use another impactful center, and the Blue Jackets have a very solid one in Charlie Coyle. The pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) is an impactful two-way forward who could play in the Canadiens' middle six and on both their penalty kill and power play if acquired. 

Coyle is also having a strong 2025-26 season with the Blue Jackets. In 56 games so far this season, the Massachusetts native has recorded 15 goals, 27 assists, 42 points, 76 hits, and a plus-4 rating. With numbers like these, he would be a strong pickup for the Habs. 

Boone Jenner, C/LW

Boone Jenner is another pending UFA on the Blue Jackets who could be a great addition for the Canadiens. The 32-year-old is well-known for his strong leadership qualities, and it is exactly why he is currently captain of the Blue Jackets. With this, he could be a good mentor for the Canadiens' younger players if they landed him.

Jenner would also give the Canadiens a forward who could play both center and the wing in their top nine. In 42 games this season with Columbus, he has recorded eight goals, 19 assists, 27 points, and 92 hits. 

The 2026 NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, as it is just over a week away. With this, trade activity around the NHL is certainly going to pick up.

The Montreal Canadiens are undoubtedly a team to keep an eye on, as they should be looking to add to their roster. Due to this, let's look at two players from the Columbus Blue Jackets who the Canadiens should consider targeting if the Metropolitan Division club ends up being sellers.

Charlie Coyle, C

The Canadiens could use another impactful center, and the Blue Jackets have a very solid one in Charlie Coyle. The pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) is an impactful two-way forward who could play in the Canadiens' middle six and on both their penalty kill and power play if acquired. 

Coyle is also having a strong 2025-26 season with the Blue Jackets. In 56 games so far this season, the Massachusetts native has recorded 15 goals, 27 assists, 42 points, 76 hits, and a plus-4 rating. With numbers like these, he would be a strong pickup for the Habs. 

Boone Jenner, C/LW

Boone Jenner is another pending UFA on the Blue Jackets who could be a great addition for the Canadiens. The 32-year-old is well-known for his strong leadership qualities, and it is exactly why he is currently captain of the Blue Jackets. With this, he could be a good mentor for the Canadiens' younger players if they landed him.

Jenner would also give the Canadiens a forward who could play both center and the wing in their top nine. In 42 games this season with Columbus, he has recorded eight goals, 19 assists, 27 points, and 92 hits. 

When the Pittsburgh Penguins took to the ice for practice on Wednesday, they did it without captain Sidney Crosby joining them.

And it will be that way for a while. 

Crosby, 38, sustained a lower-body injury while playing for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, and he is expected to miss four weeks - a critical four weeks for the Penguins, who have a tough schedule in March and currently rank second in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. 

But despite the knowledge that he won't be able to help his team on the ice during their stretch run to the playoffs, Crosby was in good spirits as he spoke with Pittsburgh media Wednesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. and reflected on his time in Milan. 

"Yeah, it was great. Awesome experience, really, everything," Crosby said. "The hockey, just the setup there, being able to experience the Olympics, it was special.

"Obviously, I was hoping for a different outcome but couldn't be more proud of the team, and just the experience overall was unbelievable."

It comes as no surprise that Crosby is disappointed that his injury will hold him out of the NHL season, and that was the same sentiment in Milan, when he missed Canada's final two games against Finland and Team USA in the medal round and the team came up short, earning the silver medal after an overtime defeat at the hands of the Americans. 

'On Any Given Night, Anybody Can Step Up': With Crosby Out, Penguins Prepared To Elevate GameWith the news that Pittsburgh Penguins' star center Sidney Crosby will miss four weeks with a lower-body injury, his teammates are ready to step up in a big way to propel the Penguins to the playoffs in his absence.

But, even as he weighed whether or not he could play, he admits that playing in the gold medal game was all he had his mind set on - and not necessarily the ramifications for his NHL season. 

"I'll be honest with you... all I cared about was playing that game and focusing on that," Crosby said. "That's not any disrespect to our team or what I feel about this season or anything like that. We all put a lot of work in to try to be as successful as possible here. But, given the opportunity to play in the Olympics and in that game, I think trying to play was all my focus was on." 

He maintains that he made the right decision to hold out knowing that he wouldn't have been able to operate close to 100 percent and that there was a healthy player who could take his spot instead. But, that said, he also mentioned that he was very close to playing. 

"Close. A lot closer than I thought. A day or two after, I thought that I might be... yeah, I didn't think it was necessarily going to be an option, so the fact that I even had a chance or was close to it... yeah, the staff there was unbelievable in trying to go through that whole process."

He added: "If you can't go out there and do a job and be relied upon with the team and the guy next to you, then you can't force it. And that's what it came down to."

Penguins' Players React To Gold Medal Game, Crosby's InjuryOn Sunday, Sidney Crosby's Penguins' teammates reacted to the captain's inability to appear for Team Canada in their gold medal game against Team USA, which the Americans won, 2-1, in overtime to capture their first Olympic gold medal since 1980.

Given his injury, it's fair to wonder whether he things the risk outweighs the benefit of NHL players going to the Olympics.  But he knows how much it means to the players to have the chance to go represent their countries on the biggest stage and how much it means to himself.

And that is especially true for Crosby, as Milan could very well have been his final Olympic appearance.

So, what about 2030? Is Crosby thinking ahead?

"Yeah, I try not to think that far ahead," Crosby said. "My mind was just on trying to play, and you can't let that creep into your head. When you're trying to overcome something or when you have something that's challenging, I think the worst thing you can do is think of worst-case scenarios... it's still a long ways away, but that wasn't really something I tried to think about too much."

Well, that's just about the answer one should expect from a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time Stanley Cup champion, especially with his team in the midst of a playoff stretch run and his production refusing to slow down. Crosby is still hungry as ever to win, and he has a chance to do so with the Penguins this season. 

With Latest Trade, Kyle Dubas Continues To Create Something Out Of NothingPittsburgh Penguins' general manager Kyle Dubas traded for Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard on Tuesday, which was the latest in a string of moves that show why he's one of the best in the business

He believes in the group that the Penguins have, especially since they've already dealt with a lot of adversity this season. 

"I'm confident," Crosby said. "I think we've shown all year, we've had injuries, and guys have stepped up. To get to where we're at at this point, I think it's because of our team play. I don't think it's been any one person. It's because, collectively as a group, we've found different ways to win, and different guys have stepped up. So, as long as we continue to do that and understand that, I think we give ourselves a good chance."

And Crosby very much wants to be back in the Stanley Cup playoffs once again. 

"That's why we play," Crosby said. "Obviously, the Olympics was a great opportunity and an experience, but I think you shift your focus to [playing] in the playoffs. It's so special and so fun to be in those big games and play for that.

"So, that's where my mind's at."

New Jersey Devils At Pittsburgh Penguins Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To WatchThe Pittsburgh Penguins will try to bank two points in the standings against a team that is going through it.

When the Pittsburgh Penguins took to the ice for practice on Wednesday, they did it without captain Sidney Crosby joining them.

And it will be that way for a while. 

Crosby, 38, sustained a lower-body injury while playing for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, and he is expected to miss four weeks - a critical four weeks for the Penguins, who have a tough schedule in March and currently rank second in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. 

But despite the knowledge that he won't be able to help his team on the ice during their stretch run to the playoffs, Crosby was in good spirits as he spoke with Pittsburgh media Wednesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. and reflected on his time in Milan. 

"Yeah, it was great. Awesome experience, really, everything," Crosby said. "The hockey, just the setup there, being able to experience the Olympics, it was special.

"Obviously, I was hoping for a different outcome but couldn't be more proud of the team, and just the experience overall was unbelievable."

It comes as no surprise that Crosby is disappointed that his injury will hold him out of the NHL season, and that was the same sentiment in Milan, when he missed Canada's final two games against Finland and Team USA in the medal round and the team came up short, earning the silver medal after an overtime defeat at the hands of the Americans. 

'On Any Given Night, Anybody Can Step Up': With Crosby Out, Penguins Prepared To Elevate GameWith the news that Pittsburgh Penguins' star center Sidney Crosby will miss four weeks with a lower-body injury, his teammates are ready to step up in a big way to propel the Penguins to the playoffs in his absence.

But, even as he weighed whether or not he could play, he admits that playing in the gold medal game was all he had his mind set on - and not necessarily the ramifications for his NHL season. 

"I'll be honest with you... all I cared about was playing that game and focusing on that," Crosby said. "That's not any disrespect to our team or what I feel about this season or anything like that. We all put a lot of work in to try to be as successful as possible here. But, given the opportunity to play in the Olympics and in that game, I think trying to play was all my focus was on." 

He maintains that he made the right decision to hold out knowing that he wouldn't have been able to operate close to 100 percent and that there was a healthy player who could take his spot instead. But, that said, he also mentioned that he was very close to playing. 

"Close. A lot closer than I thought. A day or two after, I thought that I might be... yeah, I didn't think it was necessarily going to be an option, so the fact that I even had a chance or was close to it... yeah, the staff there was unbelievable in trying to go through that whole process."

He added: "If you can't go out there and do a job and be relied upon with the team and the guy next to you, then you can't force it. And that's what it came down to."

Penguins' Players React To Gold Medal Game, Crosby's InjuryOn Sunday, Sidney Crosby's Penguins' teammates reacted to the captain's inability to appear for Team Canada in their gold medal game against Team USA, which the Americans won, 2-1, in overtime to capture their first Olympic gold medal since 1980.

Given his injury, it's fair to wonder whether he things the risk outweighs the benefit of NHL players going to the Olympics.  But he knows how much it means to the players to have the chance to go represent their countries on the biggest stage and how much it means to himself.

And that is especially true for Crosby, as Milan could very well have been his final Olympic appearance.

So, what about 2030? Is Crosby thinking ahead?

"Yeah, I try not to think that far ahead," Crosby said. "My mind was just on trying to play, and you can't let that creep into your head. When you're trying to overcome something or when you have something that's challenging, I think the worst thing you can do is think of worst-case scenarios... it's still a long ways away, but that wasn't really something I tried to think about too much."

Well, that's just about the answer one should expect from a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time Stanley Cup champion, especially with his team in the midst of a playoff stretch run and his production refusing to slow down. Crosby is still hungry as ever to win, and he has a chance to do so with the Penguins this season. 

With Latest Trade, Kyle Dubas Continues To Create Something Out Of NothingPittsburgh Penguins' general manager Kyle Dubas traded for Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard on Tuesday, which was the latest in a string of moves that show why he's one of the best in the business

He believes in the group that the Penguins have, especially since they've already dealt with a lot of adversity this season. 

"I'm confident," Crosby said. "I think we've shown all year, we've had injuries, and guys have stepped up. To get to where we're at at this point, I think it's because of our team play. I don't think it's been any one person. It's because, collectively as a group, we've found different ways to win, and different guys have stepped up. So, as long as we continue to do that and understand that, I think we give ourselves a good chance."

And Crosby very much wants to be back in the Stanley Cup playoffs once again. 

"That's why we play," Crosby said. "Obviously, the Olympics was a great opportunity and an experience, but I think you shift your focus to [playing] in the playoffs. It's so special and so fun to be in those big games and play for that.

"So, that's where my mind's at."

New Jersey Devils At Pittsburgh Penguins Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To WatchThe Pittsburgh Penguins will try to bank two points in the standings against a team that is going through it.