Matvei Michkov breaks through, but Flyers blow another lead to Kings

It was the second time in 10 days that the Flyers held a lead against the Kings and fell apart in the final period.

Up 4-2 with just over six minutes left in the second, Philadelphia ended up allowing three straight goals to the Kings in a 5-4 loss. Add in the blown lead last time and the Kings have outscored the Flyers 6-0 in the third period.

Anze Kopitar had a lot to do with both comebacks. He was responsible for the game-tying and game-winning goals on Sunday night. Kopitar had the tying goal a few weeks ago, adding a second in the third period in the eventual 7-3 win on Dec. 19.

There were some good things about what Philadelphia did. Joel Farabee scored for the second straight game and Matvei Michkov broke his drought. But the Flyers let another game slip away from them after their win against the Ducks put them at a .500 winning percentage.

Matvei Michkov breaks through

It has been a tough few weeks for Matvei Michkov. The grind of the NHL schedule has appeared to catch up to him. It's been evident in his sluggish play and season-high seven-game pointless drought. He played just over nine minutes against the Ducks and was benched in the third period.

But John Tortorella stuck with him and it paid off. Tied 1-1 in the first period, Michkov tried to bank a shot off David Rittich. It ended up going to Scott Laughton who buried it to give Philadelphia the lead. Earlier in the game, Michkov tried to feed Laughton on an odd-man rush. The lack of a shot from the young rookie might have shown a potential lack of confidence.

But then Michkov tried the bank shot again in the second period. This time the bank was open as his shot from behind the net hit off Rittich and went into the goal. The reaction to the goal tells you everything you need to know about how Michkov was feeling.

Tortorella could've benched Michkov after the game against Anaheim. But he left him in the lineup and Michkov showed his appreciation by posting his 10th multi-point game of the season. He is the third Flyers' rookie in franchise history to have double-digit games with more than one point.

Poor play from Aleksei Kolosov leads to more goaltending questions

While not everything can be placed on Aleksei Kolosov, his poor play has led to more questions than answers for the Flyers. While carrying three goaltenders, Sam Ersson and Kolosov have been the only two involved. Ivan Fedotov has not appeared in a game since being pulled against Florida on Dec. 5. It might be time to give him a shot, though.

Kolosov's inexperience at the NHL level has been evident. He's struggled to track the puck and keep up with the game's speed. The breakdowns in front of him don't help, but the Flyers need better goaltending from everyone involved. They aren't going to win many games if they have to score five or more goals to do so.

When asked if he thinks more time in the AHL would help, Kolosov claims that his time with the Phantoms did help. It sounds like someone who isn't interested in returning to Lehigh Valley. If that's the only reason he is remaining with the Flyers, something needs to be done.

Flyers blown another lead to Los Angeles

The first meeting saw the Flyers and Kings tied at 3-3 heading into the second intermission. Los Angeles then fired off four goals in the final period to finish with a 7-3 victory.

This time around, Philadelphia held a 4-3 lead going into the final frame. And just like the last time, they couldn't hold things. It wasn't an outpouring of goals, but the two that Kopitar scored were enough to send the fans home happy.

The goals by Kopitar came with the Kings holding possession in the offensive zone. The Flyers' inability to control the puck and eventual lack of positioning cost them. On Warren Foegele's goal to make it 4-3, it was a turnover by Travis Konecny that led to the breakaway. It was Egor Zamula who put Konecny in a tough spot with his pass.

It's a clear sign that the Flyers still aren't where they'd like to be defensively. Breakdowns like this are going to happen from time to time, but they are happening too often at this point.

The Flyers will have a day off before finishing the 2024 side of the schedule against Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks on New Year's Eve.