The Hockey News Morning Skate: Michkov Leads Flyers, McKenna Comes Up Clutch For Maple Leafs, And More

Welcome to The Hockey News Morning Skate, where we give a quick recap of all the action from the NHL every weekday morning so you stay up to date.

A small four-game slate on Monday produced some intriguing matchups that made for a fun night on the ice.

Let's run through the biggest storylines that emerged from last night, and make sure to check out the video version of this story above.

Less than a week since he was benched, with his team in the midst of a three-game losing streak, rookie Gavin McKenna delivered. The 18-year-old buried the eventual game-winning goal to elevate the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks.

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews also had himself a strong outing, finishing with a goal and two assists for his fourth multi-point game of the season. He now has seven goals and 16 points in 10 games.

The Philadelphia Flyers captured their second win of the 2026-27 season, defeating the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on the back of Matvei Michkov's two-goal effort. The Russian winger now has four goals and five points in his last three games.

Goaltender Joseph Woll made 24 saves and picked up his first win with the Flyers, continuing a run of solid performances despite the team's struggles. The 28-year-old now has a .917 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average in six games this season.

The Utah Mammoth had four different players with multiple points on Monday to secure a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Mammoth have now won four of their last five games and lead the Central division with a 7-3-0 record. 

On the opposite end, the Penguins have now lost four in a row, seven of their last eight, and are now sixth in the Metro with a 3-6-1 record.

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