The 4 Nations Face-Off break gave players who did not suit up during the tournament a chance to regroup and get themselves physically and mentally ready for the NHL stretch drive. In the three games the Flyers have played since the conclusion of the tournament, several players have enjoyed an offensive surge.
Owen Tippett (18 goals, 35 points for the season) has compiled four goals and an assist since the break and has tallied at least once in each game. The break enabled the winger to fully recover from an upper-body injury that had kept him out of the lineup from January 29 until the return from 4 Nations.
Noah Cates (13 goals, 26 points) kept up his strong 200-foot play throughout January and February but he endured an 11-game pointless drought offensively. He finally broke out of the slump in a big way during the home-and-home set with the Pittsburgh Penguins this week. At Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday, Cates notched a pair of goals and an assist. At PPG Paints Arena on Thursday, Cates scored again.
Perhaps no player has seemed to be more revitalized since the break than rookie right winger Matvei Michkov (19 goals, 45 points). He is skating with more sustained energy and both the quickness of his hands and his creativity with the puck have been on display frequently over the last three games: three goals (one at 5-on-5, one power play), five assists, eight points, 15 shots on net and a traditional plus-six rating.
In last Saturday's 6-3 home win over the defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers, Michkov collected three points. Early in the first period, Michkov hustled to collect his own missed shot and scored from the slot on the other side.
Later, Michkov made a gorgeous pass to Sean Couturier for the captain's 200th career NHL regular season goal. Michkov subsequently collected his second assist of the game on a backhand feed to Tippett
