TAMPA, Fla. – In his two-plus years as Flyers head coach, John Tortorella has preached that no one is above the law and has backed up those words with his actions.

Thursday morning was the latest example.

Before the team’s morning skate, Tortorella announced that rookie sensation Matvei Michkov would be a healthy scratch that night against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30, ESPN+/Hulu). Second on the team in points with 10 (four goals, six assists), Michkov, the NHL’s rookie of the month for October, had played in each of the Flyers’ first thirteen games.

“It’s part of the process,” Tortorella said. “With young guys, they get to watch games as well, development-wise, so it’s trying to help them.”

» READ MORE: John Tortorella showed his frustration with his brief comments after the game. But was it all bad against the Hurricanes?

Michkov’s play has deteriorated recently, both from a production point of view and from the eye test. Over his last five games, the Russian winger has just one assist, a power-play helper in Tuesday’s 6-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

But this move is not about his point production.

Tortorella was not happy with Michkov’s play away from the puck on both ends of the ice in five-on-five. It’s why the 19-year-old winger was benched for parts of the last two games, including most of the third period against the Hurricanes. He has elite vision to find his teammates and create scoring chances, but struggles with puck support and proper positioning in each zone.

“I think he’s starting to understand what the National Hockey League is, in terms of speed, time and space, and all the things that come with it,” Tortorella said after a win against the St. Louis Blues last week. “There will be some big struggles with him, five-on-five, we expect, with me having to teach.”

“That learning moment – ​​I’m not going to tell you what it’s all about – but if we keep seeing the same mistake and he just doesn’t focus at all on a certain part of the game, then that’s when – and I I’ve been very honest about that: he’ll miss some ice. He’s going to watch the game. It’s not me, you know, yelling at him. It tells him: this is how it works.

Tortorella said at the time that he felt “very comfortable” with Michkov on the power play, before adding that “he will be held accountable.” The head coach sees watching a game at the top of the press box as an opportunity to reset and gain a different perspective.

Michkov isn’t the first Flyer to be scratched – and he won’t be the last. Tortorella has used players like Morgan Frost, Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Tyson Foerster and captain Sean Couturier.

“I talked to him and had a good conversation with him,” Couturier said. ‘He’s young. He is learning. (He) has a lot of pressure with all the adaptability of coming from Russia at 19 and not really speaking English. There are a lot of new things, not only in his adjustment on the ice, but also off the ice.

“I think he knows what he wants to work on and what he needs to work on,” added Couturier, who has been Michkov’s center for the past eight games. “I think it’s more about managing the pressure, managing the ups and downs of a long season. It’s still early in the year, but you can’t get frustrated.

“You just have to never be too high, never too low, and kind of have an approach, that’s maybe what I tried to teach him.”

» READ MORE: Historically, where does Matvei Michkov rank in the Flyers’ rankings so far?

Winger Anthony Richard replaces Michkov after being called up from Lehigh Valley on Wednesday. Richard got the call while he was on the golf course.

“We had the day off, and I was on the green and I had my Apple Watch on, and I kept feeling it buzzing, so it was one of my family members or someone calling me,” he said. “I picked up my phone after I finished the hole and it was the call to come here. I was excited, but I was lucky. I was flying yesterday morning so I could finish the round.”

Richard, who turns 28 next month, had a strong training camp. He showed great speed and scored two goals and two assists in preseason. Before the season, Tortorella cited speed as a key to success for the Flyers. Now Richard gets the chance to do that in the top six.

“I’m a guy who likes to play offense, and I like to play in the O-zone, and when you’re dealing with good players it’s always fun,” Richard said. “Usually you get called up and you’re more of a fourth-line role. It kind of takes you out of the aspect of bringing you to the NHL. So my first few years in the NHL I tried to play a more physical game.

“Now that we’re on the second line, it’s more about making some plays. Of course we are still playing hard in all areas, but the focus is more on the attacking side, so I am very happy with that.”

As he told Richard in training camp, Tortorella said Thursday that he wants him to “take a chance offensively” and not “have to worry about making mistakes.” Richard says he’s playing better than he did at the start of the year and has more confidence with the puck. He scored four goals and nine points in seven games with the Phantoms this season and played 24 NHL games over a nine-year pro career.

Richard has scored two of his goals on the power play and will be on the first power play unit in Michkov’s spot, which is usually in the right faceoff circle.

» READ MORE: Flyers place Ryan Poehling at center on injured reserve, recall Anthony Richard

“That’s a good place for me. I have been playing there for many years,” said Richard, who scored one of his preseason goals from the right circle.

“I think they were trying to find someone to replace Michy, so hopefully we can produce there. I know the power play has been better the last few games, so hopefully we can score tonight.”

Hello, old friend (part 2)

After Tuesday against Sean Walker, the Flyers will see another former teammate in Cam Atkinson on Thursday. The forward’s contract was bought out in June before he agreed to a deal with the Lightning.

“I cherish every second. Still keep in touch with all those guys and invited them all over for dinner last night which is great to see everyone showed up for the most part,” Atkinson said, joking that he might find out who liked him and who doesn’t during the game.

“It’s a special group there, and from the top down you see how ownership runs things and management, and obviously my history with Torts and (associate coach Brad Shaw). Always wish them nothing but the best, except when we’re playing against them. But yeah, miss it, miss that area, miss life there, miss everything.”

Acquired in a one-for-one trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakub Voráček in July 2021, Atkinson recorded 78 points (36 goals, 42 assists) in 143 regular season games with the Flyers.

He missed the entire 2022–23 season after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck. He struggled to find his game last season, recording 13 goals and 28 points in 70 games. A healthy scratch for twelve games, he skated just under sixteen minutes per game – his lowest average since his third season in the league.

“Torts and I have always had a great relationship,” said Atkinson, who had one assist in 10 games with the Lightning. “Even during that process he was very open and honest, as he always is. Not that I agreed with everything he did, but it is what it is

“At the end of the day he has to coach and ultimately I had to play better. We still talk. Guys think he slept over my house last night,” he said, laughing. “But we texted yesterday. I’m going to see him today. And there is never, ever any bad blood. And even if he did, I would never say anything negative about him because he certainly helped me a lot more than not. I respect him more than anyone.”

» READ MORE: Aleksei Kolosov wanted an NHL shot. Now that Sam Ersson is injured, he has it.

Escapes

Ivan Fedotov is expected to start in goal Thursday in place of Aleksei Kolosov, who left the morning skate early after a conversation with the training staff. Kolosov suffered what the team later called a lower-body injury. … Defenseman Cam York skated with the team in the morning skate for the first time since being on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He was wearing a blue contactless jersey. … Goaltender Sam Ersson was also on the ice for the morning skate after suffering an injury on Saturday. Ersson also skated in Carolina, but didn’t advance until the end of the morning skate.