Tortorella benches and sends warning to Matvei Michkov.

John Tortorella has often shown a willingness to be hard on his young stars as a head coach in the National Hockey League and unfortunately for young Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov he has proven to be no exception to that.

On Saturday, Michkov found himself riding the pine for the entire duration of the game's third period with the young forward getting just a total of 9 minutes and 7 seconds of ice time over the course of the entire game. There was some concern regarding Michkov following the game but Tortorella would quickly confirm that Michkov remaining on the bench had been his decision.

Not only did Tortorella confirm that Michkov's benching had been his decision, but also appeared to issue a warning to the young forward that there could be more such punishments coming down the line if his play on the ice did not improve.

"It's just been a struggle, energy," said Tortorella of Michkov's play. "The skating, energy, it's just not there. You could see him struggling before the break. If I have to take him out I will, or bench him during a period. It was my call."

That would appear to indicate that a healthy scratch could be the next step in this process for Michkov if he continues to remain on the coach's bad side, although Tortorella has given no indication that a healthy scratch will be immediately forthcoming.

Michkov remains one of the Flyers' most dynamic players in spite of his clashes with the coach, with the 20 year old having 11 goals and 16 assists for a total of 27 points over 34 games.