Matthew Tkachuk Injures Opponent Than Tells The Media That He Dived

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Skyler Walker
April 24, 2023 (10:59)

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The Stanley Cup playoffs are heating up, and this past weekend saw an escalation in physical play between several teams. As the series progresses, players become more familiar and increasingly annoyed with each other, leading to intense matchups. The mind games that are played also add to the drama of the playoffs, and no one is more skilled at this than Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.

Despite his team's loss to the Boston Bruins, Tkachuk was a key player in Game 4, with Bruins forward Garnet Hathaway bearing the brunt of his aggressive play. Tkachuk delivered a forceful cross-check to Hathaway's lower back, causing him to fall to the ice and remain down for several moments.

Tkachuk, a notorious agitator, doesn't believe that Hathaway's injury was genuine and made his feelings clear when questioned about the incident at the end of the first period. Although the Panthers are down 1-3 in the series, Tkachuk's physicality and mind games will undoubtedly continue to be a factor.

"It's kinda one of those pretty chippy games." said Tkachuk. "If you get cross-checked go down, try to draw a penalty. It seems that's the way this game is kinda going."

Tkachuk was fined $5000 for this crosscheck.

Despite remaining in the game, Garnet Hathaway appeared to be struggling when he returned to the ice for the second period, indicating that he may have been genuinely hurt by the cross-check from Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk, known for his agitating style, dismissed Hathaway's reaction, suggesting that it was all an act. It's not the first time Tkachuk has tried to get under the skin of his opponents, and it certainly won't be the last. Only time will tell whether his comments will have any effect on the Bruins heading into Game 5. Regardless, it's clear that Tkachuk will continue to play his game and use his tactics to try and gain an advantage for his team, even if it means riling up his opponents in the process.