Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube talked about Matvei Michkov (Source: Imagn)

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube shared his thoughts on Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov before their game on Sunday. Michkov, the 7th overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, is leading all rookies with 29 points in 37 games. He has scored 12 goals and added 17 assists, making him a key contributor for the Flyers.

“He has skill. He’s got a really good shot and has a nose for the net,” Berube said about Michkov. “I don’t know who I could compare him to, but he’s a highly skilled player who can really shoot the puck and looks to shoot.” [9:34]

In Philadelphia’s 16 wins with him, Michkov has 12 points, including power-play contributions. However, his -22 plus/minus in losses shows the Flyers’ defensive struggles.

Recently, Michkov ended a seven-game point drought with a goal and assist in a 5-4 loss to the Kings. While he has scored in only one of his last 10 games, his playmaking ability stands out as a positive for the Flyers’ future.

The Flyers, with a 17-18-4 record, will look to Michkov’s skill as they take on the Maple Leafs (25-13-2).

Craig Berube talked about the Maple Leafs’ 6-4 win against Bruins

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins 6-4 at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. Matthew Knies scored his first NHL hat trick and added two assists in a standout performance.

“What I was impressed about was that we were up and then we were tied but our momentum stayed and our game stayed the same,” Berube said, per NHL.com, “It wasn’t like oh wow they tied it up and now we’re going to try some trick plays or whatever you want to call it. We just stayed with our game.”

Jake McCabe scored the first goal at 3:29 in the first period for the Maple Leafs. He received a pass from Mitch Marner and shot over Jeremy Swayman’s blocker. This ended a 16-game goal drought for Toronto’s defensemen.

In the second period, Knies made it 2-0 with a deflection off Auston Matthews’ shot. Boston responded quickly with Morgan Geekie scoring off a rebound. Later, Trent Frederic tied it 2-2 with a shot from the slot.

Knies scored again early in the third period with a spinning backhand shot. David Pastrnak tied the game 3-3 after stealing the puck from John Tavares. Knies completed his hat trick minutes later with a one-timer from Matthews.

Mitch Marner scored an empty-net goal at 17:55 to make it 5-3. Pastrnak added another goal for Boston at 18:10, but Matthews scored into an empty net to secure the win.