Michkov's key assist in the spotlight was exactly what Tocchet wanted.
Only a short time after receiving the public backing of his general manager, Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov took full advantage of his prove-it game while working through the demands of head coach Rick Tocchet.
Danny Briere, like Tocchet before him, stated Tuesday that Michkov was not in great physical condition when arriving for training camp before the start of the season, but was steadfast in his commitment to the 21-year-old being the future of the Flyers.
The past is the past, this is the situation, Michkov has to gain the trust of his coach, the end.
One game after the Flyers suffered a dismal 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings, and after Michkov played a season-low 10:27 in a game the Flyers had trailed 2-0 by the end of the first period, the Russian was given a longer leash from Tocchet, stemming from multiple conversations over the course of the week.
The result was Michkov playing a modest but greatly improved 15:54 on 21 shifts in a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals Tuesday night, recording an assist on Owen Tippett's tally that opened the scoring.
Michkov carried the puck from his weaker left side of the ice, swung around the net and to the right, and connected with Travis Sanheim.
From there, Sanheim found an unmarked Tippett, who did the rest with a tidy bit of skill from close range.
The key here, though, is that Michkov followed Tocchet's game plan to a tee and executed to create a goal.
He's responding to the coaching he's getting, he's playing hard, he's fighting (against Pittsburgh), and he's playing well with limited opportunity.
"We talked yesterday, too, a little bit about, if you feel like staying, get out there. Obviously, if you're winded, get off. But I thought he was moving," Tocchet said of Michkov after the game.
"The first goal, we actually talked about as a line this morning. They're [Capitals] a man-on-man team. I said to Matvei, 'If you come around the net, fake and hold that puck, that weak side's open.' And he did. Obviously, it was a hell of a pass. Sanny makes a hell of a pass to Tipp. It was nice to get that thing going, we're up 1-0 instead of the other team."
So, with all the fanfare that preceded this game against the Capitals, both Tocchet and Michkov held up their ends of the bargain.
Tocchet gave his young player more of a chance and reassured him throughout the week, and Michkov delivered, taking more of an initiative while using his world class talents to execute his coach's game plan to perfection.
The Flyers have only one more game until the Olympic break, which Michkov, according to Briere, will try to use to catch up with his teammates physically, and if Michkov and the Flyers can take advantage and head into their time off on a high, there really is no telling what the second half of the season might hold for both parties, in a good way.