Matthew Tkachuk was the buzz of the rink. Just two seconds into the game between Team USA and Canada, he took off his gloves and engaged in a brawl with Brandon Hagel. This shocked the entire Montreal Bell Centre, as two more fights followed the two right after it.
The major concern, though, came during the third period. But why did the American fans have this reaction even if Team USA was leading the game? During a TV timeout, fans observed Tkachuk skating in circles around the rink. His appearance on the bench during the game’s final minutes further heightened the alert. Now, with injury rumors lurking right behind Tkachuk’s 4 Nations Face-Off future, his coach had to step in.
Sharing his thoughts during the post-game press conference, Mike Sullivan shared a cryptic update on his star forward’s health, saying, “Matthew [Tkachuk] is out with a lower-body injury right now. He’s been evaluated by our doctors; uh, that’s all I can offer you. Uh, we will make decisions, um, that we think is best for Matthew, and we think that is best for our team. Um, right now, I don’t have a lot of information, so it’s hard for me to give you that.”
Now, this particular update will raise even more doubts. Tkachuk has been a key player in Team USA’s main roster. His contributions? In the previous game against Canada, Tkachuk demonstrated his physicality on the rink, and in the third period against Suomi, he made a game-changing play. Team USA’s third goal against Finland, scored by Tkachuk during the third period at 00:15, broke Suomi’s confidence, and it led to a dominating victory for the Americans with a score of 6-1.
“I think I’ve thought about this game for nine years, so we’ll be ready for it,” said Tkachuk before his game against Canada, and he did deliver too. But all of the plays were really physical, and the update that his coach gave is concerning for his future with Team USA.
This is a developing report…
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