Was Flyers' Michkov Benching Justified? Insider Debates If He'll Be Re-Inserted for Game 6

Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov

The Philadelphia Flyers are still looking for that one elusive win to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They made a bold lineup move ahead of Game 5 to make Matvei Michkov a healthy scratch. Philly lost a 3-2 decision, and now their 3-0 series lead is down to that same set of numbers, 3-2.

Does the young Russian need to re-enter the lineup for Game 6? Flyers insider Anthony Di Marco asked—and then answered—the question for Daily Faceoff.

"Michkov’s struggle to keep up and produce offense (all while being somewhat of a liability defensively) made it hard to find a place for him in the lineup, according to sources," writes Di Marco.

Was Michkov's benching for Game 5 justified?

"Speaking with sources: this year was still a 'rebuilding' one for the Flyers, and Michkov’s development is important, but now that the Flyers have made the playoffs, winning games is the priority. And through the first four games, Michkov wasn’t doing enough to contribute to winning games. Speaking with two executives from other NHL teams, both were in agreement with the Flyers’ decision to scratch Michkov last night after his first four playoff games."

We must also note that Michkov's replacement in the lineup, Alex Bump, gave the team an excellent boost, scoring a goal, adding four shots on net, and throwing a couple of hits.

But Di Marco wonders if the Russian's potential contributions on the offensive side of the puck could have been used in the dying minutes while the Flyers were trying to tie the game. He also suggests that moving Michkov right up to the top line with Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett could unlock his offense, which has been a big zero thus far in the series.

Does Michkov draw back in with the Flyers' needing offense?

"This is even more debatable when you factor in the Flyers’ struggles offensively the past two games in their losing efforts, mustering up just two goals in each," says Di Marco.

"Given the Flyers’ offensive limitations, it would not be shocking to see him put back in – and that’s when the chips will truly be down for Michkov."

The 21-year-old saw his numbers dip a bit in his second NHL season, but 20 goals and 51 points is still a decent showing for such a young promising talent. And he did improve his plus/minus rating from -18 in his rookie year to a break-even 0 this season.

We'll have to keep an eye on Michkov's status as Game 6 approaches, Wednesday night.