Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has had a great deal of success in his first few months with the team. They’re in playoff contention and routinely take some of the top teams in the league to overtime. Trevor Zegras has flourished under Tocchet, averaging around a point per game. However, there is one glaring omission to Tocchet’s success so far – Matvei Michkov.

The second year winger has not replicated the success from his rookie season. His minutes are down, as is his production. It certainly didn’t help that Michkov took the summer off to race cars and explore the multiverse or whatever he did. Things have not seemed to fully click between Michkov and Tocchet to this point, and it’s time to think outside the bun. 

Since my mind primarily works on pop culture references, my first thought as far as resolving tension between two people is how classic sitcoms (situation comedies, for you hockey nerds) and comedy films would handle this sort of tension.

Trap them in an room/elevator together

Examples:

Community – “Cooperative Calligraphy”

Parks And Recreation – “Leslie And Ron”

That’s My Bush! – “Trapped In A Small Environment”

Seinfeld – “The Chinese Restaurant”

The Breakfast Club

This is a classic sitcom trope. You trap two people in a confined space for a long period of time until they hash out their problems. Community does a great sendup of this in their episode “Cooperative Calligraphy”. Personally, I’m picturing The Breakfast Club here, with Keith Jones as the Principal who forces Tocc and Mich into detention together.

Imagine, Michkov and Tocchet are working late at the Skate Zone and then someone locks them in. It starts with complaining about being stuck in the Skate Zone all night, followed by boredom. Then, before you know it, Tocchet and Michkov are dancing on top of the hot dog stand counter and doing all sorts of best friends stuff.

Send them on a road trip

Examples:

Tommy Boy

The Simpsons – “Bart on the Road”

Road Trip

Arrest Development – “¡Amigos!”

What can bring people better together than a road trip? Sharing snacks, meals, small talk, music, bathroom breaks – the classic road trip has it all! My favorite example of this is the Chris Farley and David Spade film, Tommy Boy. Tommy (Farley) and Richard (Spade) are total opposites that have nothing in common except for their desire to save Callahan Auto. After going through every mishap that can possibly happen to a car, the two become a sales machine and join together to save the day.

Tocchet and Michkov can learn to live, laugh, and love with each other while learning just what makes each other tick. After making these guys travel from Philadelphia to San Diego via a winnebago on its last legs, there’s no way that they won’t be the best of friends.

Stick them on a competitive team together (non-hockey)/give them a common goal

Examples:

The Simpsons – “Mountain of Madness”

The Office – “Traveling Salesmen”

Seinfeld – “The Andrea Doria”

Community – “Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism”

One of the great ways to bring people together is a little competition. Put them on a quizzo team together (bar trivia for you non-Philadelphians). Have them do a race together.  One of my favorite examples of this is an episode of The Simpsons titled “Mountain of Madness” which ends up pairing Mr. Burns and Homer Simpson together as well as Wayland Smithers with Bart and Lisa Simpson. The Springfield Power Plant has a team-building competition to race to a cabin, with whoever arrives last getting fired. Mr. Burns and Homer is such an odd pairing that had not been utilized much to that point. Briefly, the richest man in Springfield and average Joe Homer are the best of pals! That is, before they start hallucinating fake armies and try to kill each other amidst an avalanche that had trapped them together. But everything works out great for everyone in the end. Except for poor Lenny…

Maybe a scavenger hunt throughout the city of Philadelphia will do the trick. If they win, the boys get a big party sponsored by Xfinity and good times will be had by all! If they lose, Briere and Jonesy are going to sell at the deadline again and guarantee there will be no playoff games in South Philly this spring. The pressure is on, guys!

Precarious situation

Examples:

Lethal Weapon

Die Hard With A Vengeance

Brooklyn 99 – “Coral Palms”

The Other Guys

Every buddy action movie ever

If all else fails, nothing brings two people together better than immediate danger. Every classic buddy cop film utilizes this. Think about Lethal Weapon, where Riggs (UGH Mel Gibson UGH) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) have to mix young wildcard energy with “getting too old for this shit” to save the day. After 100 more movies (Editor’s note: there are 4, you drama king) and a TV show that everyone forgot existed, they sure did. 

So, I propose, let’s drop Tocchet and Michkov into an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere handcuffed together, with a small army of mercenaries coming for them. These guys will HAVE to work together in order to survive the experience. Let’s maybe not hire the very best mercenaries, though. I’m confident that this will work, but not THAT confident…