“ If you have to take a punch in the face, take a punch in the face,” Matthew Tkachuk said after the brawl against the Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. If for nothing else, the American hockey star is incredibly popular among fans for his aggressive way of handling things on the ice. And yet, even the most ferocious of players has someone to calm him down when the sun gets real low (Get it, Marvel fans?). And the fans are going awww.
“If you’re the captain … how you interact really defines how everybody else will,” Paul Maurice once said, while talking about what the Panthers’ captain, Aleksander Barkov, helps to build team morale. While the Finn’s incredible stats since coming to Sunrise in 2013 highlight his incredible talent as a hockey player, Barkov’s presence in the Florida locker room is equally important for his teammates, including Matthew Tkachuk. Obviously, the fans can’t hold back on their emotions.
The official Florida Panthers YouTube account recently shared a short video of Matthew Tkachuk and his captain, captioned, ‘Barky & Chucky Core“. In the brief video clip, the 27-year-old forward can be seen skating in from behind and placing his head on Barkov’s shoulder. Uncharacteristic of Tkachuk’s signature aggressive demeanor, he looks mellow in the clip as he shares a moment with his captain.
To make the video even more impactful, the upload comes with an imaginary conversation between Tkachuk and Barkov. “Is it me, or are we best friends?” the folks over at the Florida Panthers’ social media team thought maybe that’s what Matthew might have said to Barkov as the former came in from behind. Looking at the shy grin the Cats’ captain can be seen responding with to Chucky’s action, his imaginary line goes, “Yeah! I’m definitely your best friend.”
Credits: Instagram/Florida Panthers
“That’s great for you!” is what the Panthers imagine Tkachuk to say to Barkov in return. Pretty cute, we’ll be honest, although we doubt that’s the word Matthew Tkachuk would approve of. But hey, as fans, we’re allowed to gush over our favorite stars. Am I right or am I right? But the sentiment isn’t based on nothing. Instead, it comes from seeing the American making it clear again and again that he’s got his captain’s back.
In Game 2 of Round 2 between the Panthers and their arch-rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Barkov took a pretty bad hit from Brandon Hagel. The Bolts’ star, on the other hand, has his own history with Tkachuk. Playing for Team USA and Canada, respectively, Matthew and Brandon got into a pretty rough fistfight during the inaugural 4 Nations Face Off in February. Naturally, the American was on the lookout to get back.
But, unluckily for Tkachuk, Hagel got handed a suspension by the NHL for his misconduct, and Tkachuk had to settle with Jake Guentzel as his punching bag in Game 3. The clash created quite a stir in the hockey community, but thankfully, Matthew walked away without any punishment for his action. That’s what you call camaraderie! Naturally, with their love once again coming to the fore, fans couldn’t stop smiling.
Fans get mushy seeing Matthew Tkachuk’s adulation of the captain
After Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Barkov has one of the highest points among the Panthers’ players (20). But some fans think that it’s more than just his stats that make him so popular among his teammates. After the Cats’ loss in games 1 and 4, the captain even admitted that he wasn’t up to the mark in those matches, which ultimately resulted in his team succumbing to the Oilers. How can you not love a guy like that? The fans certainly do adore him, and one fan reiterated the sentiment with the comment, “He just loves the captain like the rest of us!” underscroing that Tkachuk doesn’t have many options but to be in awe of Barkov like the rest of us.
Image via Instagram/ ksamiljanaire
In a lot of ways, this year’s Stanley Cup Finals could go down as one of the most memorable in recent times. Neither the Panthers nor the Oilers seems to be up for allowing the other an inch of ground without putting up a thunderous fight. But it’s moments like the one between Tkachuk and Barkov that make some fans believe that there’s more to the sport than just trying to win every game. “They don’t have to score goals to make an impact in the Stanley cup final!” commented one fan. “That’s partly why this team is so good. They’re such a tight group,” another fan also claimed that such a bond is what helps the Cats to be a formidable squad. Three Finals in a row. Maybe the fan is onto something here.
“We’ve always had Sasha Barkov, so there’s always hope,” Aaron Ekblad also hailed Aleksander for leading the team when things looked bleak for the Panthers. And seeing how even Matthew Tkachuk can’t help but show his love to the captain, fans think this is special. “This is my favorite thing on the internet,” one fan had to admit. “Not only a team it’s a brotherhood and we love every single one of them!” another fan mirrored a similar thought.
And what about you? How emotional do you feel looking at these two Panthers stars? Tell us below!
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