Matthew Tkachuk Goes After An Opponent Who Ran Into His Goalie, Which Is Ironic Given His Past
Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk got mad at an opponent for doing something he’s done on multiple occasions.
In the second period of Florida’s 8-4 drubbing of the Colorado Avalanche, forward Ross Colton collided with Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Naturally, that would anger any team, and Tkachuk promptly pummeled Colton.
Running into a goalie is certainly a no-no, but Colton didn’t do that on purpose. He drove hard to the blue paint, and got shoved just enough by forward Carter Verhaege to cause the collision.
As a hockey fan, I don’t find it strange that the Panthers wanted to protect their goalie, especially with the game that close at the time. However, I do find it ironic that Tkachuk of all people went after Colton. Despite being an elite forward, Tkachuk is anything but classy and has had his fair share of uncalled-for goalie interactions in the past.
Tkachuk Caused Troubles With Goalies While On Calgary's Roster
On March 6, 2019, Tkachuk entered the offensive zone against the Vegas Golden Knights and rushed to the net. But as he got close to the goal crease, he rather forcefully ran into Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
Was the hit intentional? In all fairness, probably not. But for crying out loud bro, show some awareness for where you are on the ice. Additionally, no one bumped him into Fleury, which was the case with Colton.
But here’s another incident where Tkachuk has no viable reason to plead his case.
He Did It Again In The Playoffs Last Year
During last year’s first round series against the Boston Bruins, the Panthers found themselves down 5-2 with three minutes to go in Game 3. The game was all but over, but the scoundrel that is Tkachuk took time out of his day to stir up some drama with a goalie.
After giving an unnecessary shove to Linus Ullmark, the goalie responded back by shoving him back. A scrum ensued that involved all players on the ice. But after referees separated Tkachuk from the pile, he continued to go after Ullmark.
Now I’m all for players bringing edge and physicality. But this isn’t either of those things; this is cowardly behavior.
For those of you who don’t watch much hockey, this would be like going after a quarterback after he’s already slid. Tkachuk had no business going after a goalie and showed he couldn’t take a loss with some dignity. He just had to go after the Ullmark because he’s a classless loser.
That makes it all the more ironic that he’d go after Colton, considering he has no problem causing trouble with goalies himself. Apparently, the trait runs in the family, as his brother Brady has done this before too.
Tkachuk taking exception to players hitting his goalie is nothing short of ironic. He’s considered one of the dirtiest players in the NHL for a reason.