Flyers' Tortorella admits defeat on fight against Michigan goals: 'I've lost that battle'
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Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella said Friday he's admitted defeat on trying to stop his players from attempting Michigan goals.
Tortorella was specifically asked about rookie Matvei Michkov making another attempt at the highlight-reel goal in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
“Yeah, I've lost the battle, right? I don’t think it should be in our game, but I've lost that battle," Tortorella told reporters. "I have talked to him early in the year when he was doing it every time. It was just turnovers.
"The thing I want Mich to understand is, he’s such a good player moving a puck and passing a puck, when he’s behind the net, he’s dangerous to make plays. What am I going to do, say 'Don’t do it?' What I did I was I said you need to understand that there are other pays to be made there too, because a number of the times he tried it early in the year, all they were were turnovers.
"So, yeah, I've lost the damn battle with that. I'm not going to try to fight it... I don’t think it should be in our game, but it is what it is.”
Michkov, who was unsuccessful in his Michigan attempt Thursday, finished without a point in 16:14 of ice time Thursday. The 20-year-old forward has 11 goals and 27 points in 28 games to sit second on the team in scoring behind Travis Konecny.
Tortorella scratched Michkov for two games in November, but he has remained a regular in the team's lineup since.
Philadelphia improved to 14-12-4 with Thursday's win and currently sit in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.