Oliver Bonk to debut? Matvei Michkov back in? Flyers' potential Game 6 lineup changes

AtlanticBruinsCanadiensLightningMaple LeafsPanthersRed WingsSabresSenatorsMetropolitanBlue JacketsCapitalsDevilsFlyersHurricanesIslandersPenguinsRangersCentralAvalancheBlackhawksBluesJetsMammothPredatorsStarsWildPacificCanucksDucksFlamesGolden KnightsKingsKrakenOilersSharksScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksPlayoff bracketStanley Cup tiersNHL Draft rankingRed Light NewsletterNHL Playoffs Asked on Tuesday whether Oliver Bonk might be an option for Game 6, presumably over Emil Andrae, coach Rick Tocchet acknowledged that the coaching staff was considering it. Eric Hartline / Imagn Images Share articlePITTSBURGH — It’s already happened a few times this season for the Philadelphia Flyers. Fresh, young legs enter the lineup and immediately make an impact. It was Denver Barkey at first, arriving at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 20 and making an instant fan out of coach Rick Tocchet when he stood out against the Rangers. Barkey never returned to the AHL. Porter Martone’s seamless integration into the lineup, beginning on April 1, gave the Flyers an added offensive jolt that they probably needed to sneak into the playoffs. In Game 5 on Monday in Pittsburgh, Alex Bump, a healthy scratch in the first four games of the series, was arguably the Flyers’ most effective forward, with a second-period goal and four shots. From his first shift, when he carried the puck into the offensive zone and unleashed a hard wrist shot on net a little more than a minute into the game, Bump was noticeable in the way he was moving all over the ice. Another young prospect could get his chance in Game 6, when the Flyers try for a third time to close out the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Oliver Bonk, the 22nd pick in the 2023 draft, may be the most overshadowed former first-round pick in recent Flyers history. He’s not Matvei Michkov, who was 15 spots higher that year. He’s not Martone, who already looks like a future star. He’s not even Jett Luchanko, who made the Flyers’ opening night roster each of the past two seasons. But Bonk reminded everyone in Philadelphia of his potential in his NHL debut. He was outstanding in the Flyers’ season finale, a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens, posting a goal and an assist in 16:28 of ice time. Yes, it was a meaningless game for the Flyers, who had clinched a playoff spot one day earlier. But it wasn’t for Montreal, which was still trying to secure home ice in the first round and dressed its full NHL lineup. “I’m just trying to get a little bit better every single day,” Bonk, who posted six goals and 13 assists in 46 games for the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, said after the game. “There’s still a lot to do.” Tocchet made one defensive change to his lineup ahead of Game 5, inserting Emil Andrae for Noah Juulsen. He didn’t do much. In 11 minutes, Andrae had no shots and just one attempt, which was blocked. He also took a third-period tripping minor, getting his stick in the skates of the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin. Asked on Tuesday whether Bonk might be an option for Game 6, presumably over Andrae, Tocchet acknowledged that the coaching staff was considering it. “I’m not going to lie to you, it is in the discussion to maybe put him in,” Tocchet said. “That’s something that we’re going to spend some time here at the rink and figure that out. … Sometimes when you put a kid like that in when they don’t even think about it, that’s a good thing.” Bump proved that with his performance in Game 5. We’ll see if Tocchet makes any changes to his forward group for Game 6, including, of course, whether Michkov makes his return. But there’s virtually no chance that Bump will come out after his performance in his playoff debut. If his play wasn’t enough, Bump made it pretty clear after the game that he doesn’t lack confidence to compete in these sorts of high-pressure situations. “Just knowing I played in these kinds of games before — I’ve played in front of a bunch of fans. It doesn’t intimidate me at all,” Bump said. “I love it, actually. Just tried to play my game (and) do what I do best.” “I thought he had a ton of energy, especially early on,” Sanheim said. “A couple hits on the forecheck and a great play on his goal. It’s a tough spot to come in the middle of a series. I thought he played well.” Tyson Foerster will also apparently remain in the lineup, even though he’s also had a difficult time of late, still looking for his first point. Foerster had three goals in his first four games after returning from shoulder surgery on April 2, but has just one assist in his last nine combined regular-season and playoff games. “We’re trying to stick with him,” Tocchet said. “It’s just not him, we’ve got some other guys we need a little bit more from. But it is tough, hitting a wall, to be able to play at that pace, and all that sort of stuff. “Maybe he’s hit the wall a little bit, but 24 or 36 hours off, reset your brain, can do wonders for a guy. Usually guys like that find their way. We’re not giving up on Tyson, he’s too good a hockey player.” That begs the question: if Michkov returns, where might he play? Tocchet wasn’t asked about Michkov on Tuesday, so there likely won’t be any news on that front until Wednesday morning when the team gathers for its morning skate. But one potential solution might be to break up the fourth line, which has slowed a bit the past two games after setting the tone earlier in the series. Flyers captain Sean Couturier took just four faceoffs in Game 5, after taking 41 in Games 1-4 combined (and winning a whopping 30 of them). Instead, Luke Glendening took the bulk of them, going 7-for-12. Neither of those two is likely to sit. But Garnet Hathaway has taken four minor penalties in the last two games, two of which left the Flyers short-handed, and one of the coincidental variety with Erik Karlsson that opened up the ice and led to Kris Letang’s game-winner in the third period of Game 4. Might it make sense to drop Foerster down to the fourth line with Couturier and Glendening, while putting Michkov back alongside Noah Cates, with Bump on the left? That was a line that had some regular-season success. In nearly 40 minutes together, they were on for three goals at five-on-five and just one against, with an expected goals share of 60.7 percent, according to Natural Stat Trick. Regardless of what Tocchet decides, the Flyers will have to collectively up their intensity level and execution to avoid sending the series back to Pittsburgh for a decisive Game 7 on Saturday. He’s hopeful they’re learning some lessons along the way in what is still the first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs for most of them. “To get experience, you have to go through things,” Tocchet said. “I know it’s a short window of experience, but I think you can learn and get more experience, even in the last two games. They’ve been close games, it’s just that the Penguins have played better than us in those two games.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms