Tag: Matthew Tkachuk

Jack Eichel awkwardly collided with Matthew Tkachuk and the resulting hit was so brutal

This was such an unfortunate hit on Jack Eichel.

This was just a case of some severe bad luck for Jack Eichel.

In a game that already featured a vicious hit on Radko Gudas early on, Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers was an incredibly punishing one. In the final moments of the second period, Eichel was rocked on a hit by Matthew Tkachuk, but the play wasn’t a dirty one at all.

In fact, the hit only looked so brutal because Eichel tripped into it after toe picking into the ice. The result was a really unfortunate collision between the two that looked absolutely nasty after Eichel was crunched into Tkachuk at an awful angle.

Tkachuk was given a two-minute roughing penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct in the scrum after the fact, but despite his reputation here, this hit is as clean as they come. It’s a hard one, but it turned so unfortunate only because Eichel lost his footing and fell awkwardly into it.

Thankfully, Eichel returned for the third period and even managed to help the Golden Knights score a goal in the final frame! Here’s how NHL fans reacted to Eichel’s unfortunate collision into Tkachuk.

Matthew Tkachuk hit Nicolas Hague with a dirty sucker punch in Game 1

You can’t do that.

Matthew Tkachuk has been an MVP for the Florida Panthers in the postseason with his OT heroics and his instant walk-off celebrations.

But what he did in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final as his team was losing to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday was absolutely dirty.

In the third period, with Tkachuk’s team down, his teammate Marc Staal held on to Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague after the whistle. With Staal’s arm around Hague, Tkachuk punched a defenseless Hague right in the face.

Is that suspension-worthy? Fans might be wondering. But it was a double-minor for roughing and a game misconduct, so he left the contest.

Either way, this was dirty:

Not good.

 

See Matthew Tkachuk’s stunning last-second goal to clinch a Stanley Cup Final berth

THE PANTHERS CINDERELLA PLAYOFF RUN CONTINUES!

The Florida Panthers are going to the Stanley Cup Final and Matthew Tkachuk is — of course! — the one that got them there.

The Panthers eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday in an unthinkable sweep of the Eastern Conference Final. Game 4 seemed destined for overtime after the Hurricanes tied up the game 3-3 late in the third period. Tkachuk, however, had other plans.

With less than a minute left in the third, the Panthers were given a rare power play opportunity to put the series away. And with just 4.3 seconds remaining in the period, Tkachuk cashed in to give the Panthers the 4-3 lead and the win.

While the NHL reviewed the play, Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen was not interfered with in his attempt to save the puck.

What a goal! Once Tkachuk saw the empty net in front of him with Andersen out of position, it was all over for the Hurricanes.

With the sweep, the Panthers now advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996, marking their second overall appearance in the final round. Florida will now have to wait to see which team will be their opponent out of the West, but what an exhilarating run this has been for the Panthers!

NHL fans loved Matthew Tkachuk doing another instant walk-off celebration after OT game-winner

He did the walk-off again!

Matthew Tkachuk did it again.

After the star forward for the Florida Panthers scored the game-winner in quadruple (!) overtime in Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, he put in the game-winner in the first OT of Game 2 on Saturday night.

Once again, we got to see the best new celebration in the NHL playoffs: Tkachuk signaled to the team to get right off the ice immediately, a walk-off of epic proportions like he did in Game 1.

NHL fans loved it, and rightfully so. If we get to see more immediate game-winners from Tkachuk or other Panthers, I want to see a walk-off:

Matthew Tkachuk scored yet another game-winning goal for the Panthers in overtime

Matthew Tkachuk won the game AGAIN in overtime for the Panthers.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk is having himself a heck of a 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

After closing out one of the longest NHL games of all time with a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in four overtimes, Tkachuk scored yet another overtime goal to get the Panthers a second-straight playoff win over Carolina on Saturday.

It’s just stunning for a player, even one as talented as Tkachuk, to score two-straight overtime goals in a playoff series.

However, that’s exactly what the Panthers star did, and now Florida heads back to the Sunshine State with a 2-0 lead over Carolina in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals. A sweep feels like a distinct possibility at this point.

Tkachuk certainly will always remember the dramatic game winner after playing in four overtimes against Carolina, but this game-winning overtime goal won’t soon be forgotten, either.

Florida fans are probably exhausted after yet another playoff game against the Hurricanes went into overtime, but Tkachuk got things done much, much earlier than he did the other night.

In the end, whether it’s one overtime session or four, the Panthers are surely glad to have Tkachuk on their side when it counts.

Matthew Tkachuk had the perfect walk-off celebration after his 4OT game-winning goal

A perfect way to celebrate scoring in the fourth overtime.

That is most certainly not a typo. The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers played in four — FOUR — overtimes on Thursday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

And it was Matthew Tkachuk who FINALLY ended the sixth-longest game in NHL history with a goal, giving the Panthers a 3-2 win and a 1-0 series lead.

But let’s focus on his celebration. As soon as he scored, he pointed toward the locker room and skated right off, a walk-off (skate-off?) celly for the ages that was just perfect.

NHL fans loved it, too. Check out the celebration from a few different angles and some reaction to it:

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Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark nearly fought Matthew Tkachuk and NHL fans were so on board

LET THEM FIGHT!

The referees absolutely should have let Linus Ullmark and Matthew Tkachuk go at it here.

On Sunday, the Boston Bruins took a 3-1 series lead in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, putting the Florida Panthers one loss away from elimination in the first round. While early on in the third period, it looked like the Panthers were set to make Game 4 a close one, the Bruins scored three straight to put the game away 6-2 as the series pivots back to Boston.

Before the final buzzer sounded, however, tensions boiled over in a full on line scuffle between the two teams on the ice with a few minutes to play. And during the pandemonium, Bruins goaltender Ullmark threw down his gloves to tango with notorious Panthers pest Tkachuk!

Unfortunately, the referees stopped the pair from engaging in fisticuffs, but the moment was still awesome regardless.

Between this and the referees stopping a goaltender fight between Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington not too long ago, hockey fans have truly been robbed of goalie brawls. Even still, NHL fans were so here for Ullmark wanting to throw down with Tkachuk in the heat of the moment.

Matthew Tkachuk trade: Who won the Panthers and Flames deal?

The Panthers surprised everyone on Friday night by trading for Matthew Tkachuk in a blockbuster.

Hockey fans were treated to an absolute blockbuster of a trade on Friday night.

After a few days of furious trade rumors, the Calgary Flames dealt Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for a massive package that would have made the NBA blush. Even with the NHL offseason in full swing, the Flames and Panthers came out wheeling and dealing late Friday night to stun the hockey world.

It’s not often we see a NHL trade of this magnitude, especially in the middle of the offseason. And on a Friday night, no less! Let’s take a look at how the Panthers and Flames grade out on this gargantuan deal that sees one of the most explosive offensive players in the game head to Florida long-term.

8 NHL teams that should trade for Matthew Tkachuk

Matthew Tkachuk is now the hottest player on the NHL trade market, but where will he land?

The Calgary Flames were three wins away from making it to the Western Conference Final mere months ago. Now? Star Johnny Gaudreau has left in free agency to join the Columbus Blue Jackets and Matthew Tkachuk is likely headed to the trade market.

On Wednesday, Jeremy Rutherford and Hailey Salvian of The Athletic dropped a bombshell on a hockey world that is just settling in for a long summer. Reportedly, Tkachuk has told the Flames he will not sign long-term — the 24-year-old is a restricted free agent — and that a trade out of Calgary is likely.

Tkachuk is also due for quite the pay raise after putting up a career-high 42 goals and 104 points in the 2021-22 season. The departure of Gaudreau — who had a career-high 115 points himself — clearly did the Flames negotiations with Tkachuk no favors, as the team is set to lose two players off their top line in a rough offseason.

With a Tkachuk trade likely imminent this summer, here are the eight NHL teams that should trade for the talented young winger.

Senators’ Brady Tkachuk cheering on the Flames and his brother Matthew is the best story of NHL playoffs

Brady Tkachuk is the Flames biggest cheerleader in these playoffs.

Brady Tkachuk is the Calgary Flames biggest cheerleader in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

As the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on through the second round, the best story of the NHL postseason has been the brotherly love between Flames star Matthew Tkachuk and his brother — the current captain of the Ottawa Senators — Brady Tkachuk. While the Senators may not be in the playoffs, Brady has taken to cheering on his brother and the Flames with incredible, wholesome passion.

Hockey fans first caught on to new No. 1 Flames fan Tkachuk doing his thing at the end of Calgary’s first round series against the Dallas Stars, where he was seen celebrating in the stands with a child on his shoulders!

Then at the start of the second round — with the Flames facing the Edmonton Oilers in a long-awaited Battle of Alberta — Tkachuk absolutely stole the show. From carrying multiple beers through the stands…

To absolutely vibing out during the Flames’ chaotic 9-6 victory on Wednesday…

Brady Tkachuk was having an absolute blast of a time cheering on the Flames and his brother. Seriously, how awesome is that?

While some naysayer hockey fans weren’t the biggest fans of Brady seemingly switching sides from the Senators to the Flames, who cares? This is the absolute best story of the playoffs so far and it’s all been born from the familial love between Brady and Matthew Tkachuk.

And the majority of hockey fans? They couldn’t get enough of it!