Tkachuk brothers flush politics with fisticuffs at 4 Nations

Early fights allowed Canada/USA game to be enjoyed

Brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were the MVPs of Saturday night.

Their antics allowed the 4 Nations Face-Off clash between Canada and the United States at the Bell Centre in Montreal to be enjoyed. They both got involved in fights after the respective first two faceoffs of the game.

From that point, the sellout pro-Canadian crowd of 21,105 spectators at the Bell Centre and I dare say those watching the contest on TV networks in both countries felt free to enjoy the game. The USA prevailed by a 3-1 score that included an empty-net goal.

Heading into that contest in that best-versus-best tournament that includes Finland and Sweden, most watching the game on the Canadian front were likely watching for the political story. That story was crowds at Canadian hosted NHL and NBA games were booing the national anthem of the United States due to the tariff and trade war policies enacted against Canada via executive orders by United States President Donald Trump.

The United States national anthem was booed before Thursday’s contest at the Bell Centre that saw the USA down Finland 6-1.

On Saturday in the clash between Canada and the United States, the crowd did boo the entire singing of the United States national anthem.

The crowd proceeded to sing O Canada in traditional bilingual form singing the Canadian national anthem in French before switching to English at the line, “God keep our land.”

At that point, the Tkachuk brothers ensured politics were forgotten for the next three hours. Off the opening faceoff, Matthew, who is a United States forward, engaged Canadian forward Brandon Hagel in a crowd-pleasing staged fight.

On the ensuing faceoff, younger brother Brady set to take the draw against Sam Bennett of Canada. After one second ticked off the clock, Brady and Bennett went at it in a second crowd-pleasing staged fight. When Brady was escorted off to the penalty box, he exchanged “fives” with brother Matthew before getting in the box.

As a bonus in the bout department, a six-second shift ensued that ended in a scrum around the Team Canada net. United States forward J.T. Miller and Canadian defenceman Colton Parayko came out of that scrum engaged in a big fight. After officials broke up that bout, the Bell Centre was rocking like the old Montreal Forum in NHL rivalry clashes that involved the Montreal Canadiens and the Quebec Nordiques in the 1980s.

At that point in time, it is safe to say no one was thinking about politics unless they were a “political animal” that only thinks about politics. Anyone watching that game was glued to looking at the action to see what happens next. All of a sudden, it felt like those who were watching the game were allowed to have the freedom to watch the game and even enjoy it.

During post-game interviews that were shown on television, the word “politics” wasn’t brought up when the Tkachuk brothers were interviewed. They said they were just trying to do something that would get everybody focused on the game and the idea of the staged fights was dreamed up earlier that day.

Of course, Brady is the captain of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators and Matthew played for the NHL’s Calgary Flames before being traded to the Florida Panthers and winning a Stanley Cup with the Panthers last season. Their father, Keith Tkachuk, was a popular power forward with the first version of the Winnipeg Jets. The Tkachuk family knows how passionate Canadian fans are when it comes to the game of hockey.

During their hockey careers, Matthew and Brady have relished playing the role of villain. While they love their home fans, you get the feeling they extra energized when they go into an opposition rink and they know they are going to be booed and heckled.

It can be argued that the last player to relish being a villain even more than the Tkachuk brothers was all-time agitator and top tier scorer Theo Fleury.

It was only fitting that if there were going to be any staged fights to start Saturday’s battled between Canada and the United States, the Tkachuk brothers would be involved. All that fans that boo and heckle the Tkachuk brothers have to admit they would love it if they played on their favourite hockey team.

To see an example of a villain getting love, all one has to do was look at Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand playing for Canada on Saturday. While Montreal hockey fans despise the Bruins, they cheered Marchand every time he got near the puck.

Also, big time credit has to be given to Hagel and Bennett for stepping up on the staged fight dance card along with Miller and Parayko for taking part in the third fight in the game’s first nine seconds.

In the current day, hockey is pretty tame and not a lot of old school happenings occur in the fight department at any level of the sport. Even for myself, I am 15 years removed from seeing antics similar to the Canada versus United States clash on Saturday in the fight department happening at any level - especially at the start of a hockey game.

Following those three bouts, Canada and the United States played a typical intense and tight checking style of NHL post-season game.

Canada scored first at the 5:31 mark of the opening frame when defenceman Drew Doughty sprung all-world forward Connor McDavid into the United States zone on a stretch pass. McDavid lifted a backhand shot over the glove of United States netminder Connor Hellebuyck for a 1-0 lead.

At the 10:15 mark of the first, United States forward Jake Guentzel put a shot between the legs of Canadian netminder Jordan Binnington to even the score at 1-1.

The United States took a 2-1 lead at the 13:33 mark of the second when Canadian legend Sidney Crosby uncharacteristically gave the puck away with an ill-advised cross ice pass just inside the blue-line of the United States zone. The USA broke up ice the other way on a two-on-one break that ended with forward Dylan Larkin firing home the winning goal blocker side on Binnington.

Guentzel rounded out the game’s scoring with an empty-net tally with 1:19 remaining in the third to complete a two-goal night.

Binnington turned away 20-of-22 shots for Canada. Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots for the United States.

Matthew didn’t play the final 12:36 of the contest due to an apparent injury and stayed on the United States bench. He told reporters after the game that he would be fine.

The win allows the United States to improve to 2-0 and earn a spot in the tournament final set for Thursday at the TD Garden in Boston. Canada has an overtime win and regulation loss and sits tied with two points in the tournament standings with Finland, who has an extra time win and a regulation loss, and Sweden, who has two extra time losses.

Canada plays Finland on Monday, while the United States faces Sweden. Both those contests will be at the TD Garden.

Overall, the specter of politics will still hang over this tournament.

Still, it was fantastic that the Tkachuk brothers made sure Saturday night was alright, even if it was just for a few hours.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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My love-hate relationship with the NHL playoffs

The Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks battle on television.

    Oh NHL playoffs, you are so good to me and so bad to me.
    I love your day to day drama. I can't get enough of seeing the reaction from everyone over the P.K. Subban slash on Mark Stone.
    That line brawl between the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night had me full awake as the 11 p.m. hour neared here in Saskatoon. I couldn't get enough of the shenanigans between Derek Dorsett and Deryk Engelland.
    As I watch Detroit play Tampa Bay as I write this blog post, I perked up during a first period line scrum.
    I also loved seeing the New York Rangers jump out to an early 2-0 lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night and hold on for a 2-1 victory. I was compelled by how ordinary Sidney Crosby looked only recording one shot on goal and finishing at a minus-one in the plus-minus department. I wondered if this could be the end of the Penguins being considered a serious contender in the present and in the future.
    Kris Russell blasting home a late winner for the Flames in their 2-1 victory over the Canucks in Game 1 of their series was cool to watch. So was Alex Galchenyuk's overtime goal celebration for the Montreal Canadiens in their Game 2 victory on Friday over the Ottawa Senators.

    Unfortunately NHL playoffs, there is a drawback. You are starting to take up too much of my time.

Petr Mrazek looks shocked on television during a Detroit loss to Tampa Bay.

    For the first time in about 14 years, my evenings have been cleared of work. I am plunking myself in front of the television and watching you all the time.
    The weather for most of the past week in Saskatoon has been good. I should have tuned up my bikes and gone for a ride. I should have gone out for a walk or a run on the Meewasin Trail.
I should be trying to set up visits with family or friends. You distract me as I try to work out, and as a result, I am planning my workout schedule around you.
    Due to the fact you are on television so much, you are preventing me from doing a pile of other tasks I should be doing in my day to day life.
    But, you are able to catch my attention like the way you notice someone as beautiful as Carrie Underwood walking down the street. Actually, you are able to bring her into my living room too as she watches husband Mike Fisher play for the Nashville Predators. Those camera crews show those lovely pictures of Underwood in her Predators gear to keep me further hooked in.

Derek Dorsett fight Deryk Engelland on television.

    Oh NHL playoffs, you also tease me with the fact that five Canadian based teams are among the 16 clubs battling for the Stanley Cup. As a topper, I get to watch the Winnipeg Jets compete in an NHL post-season for the first time in 19 years.
    The Jets are my favourite team, and I have dug out old items from the past for this year's "Whiteout." I have proudly worn my 1980s white Dale Hawerchuk jersey and my 1990s white Keith Tkachuk jersey. My current era white Jets jersey is a Dustin Byfuglien beauty.
    I was so crushed when their 2-1 lead over the Anaheim Ducks disappear and turn into a 4-2 setback in Game 1 of that series on Thursday night. In defeat, I did appreciate how gifted Ducks forwards Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf were in combining for three goals and four assists.
    As a fan, I do see Perry as a little punk, but he is a likable little punk. If Perry played for the Jets, I would be doing the big fist pump and would be super happy he played for my team.
    When the games go on, I also find myself making comments both serious and humourous on the games, and one like or retweet is enough to keep me going. Seeing Theo Fleury's comments about the Flames also keeps me engaged.

I am all set to watch the Winnipeg Jets play on television.

    Yes NHL playoffs, you are becoming an addition. On the plus side, I am good at recognizing behaviours that become an addition, and you are the type of addition I can put on the shelf with a snap of a finger.
    But right now, I don't want to. Please keep teasing me NHL playoffs and keep holding my attention with all your dramas. You are a great distraction.
    And if you could, please allow my Winnipeg Jets to win tonight. That would be really good.

    If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.