Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a move coach John Tortorella described as “just part of the process” in the young player's development.

In his two-plus years as Flyers head coach, John Tortorella has preached that nobody is above the law and backed up those words with his actions. Thursday afternoon provided the latest example, as Tortorella announced that rookie sensation Matvei Michkov will be a healthy scratch for the team’s game tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 p.

Philadelphia Flyers coach scratching rookie of the month Matvei Michkov is not necessarily a bad thing. It's now up to the Calder Trophy contender to respond effectively.