Did Matthew Tkachuk's selfishness cost team USA?

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That can only be true to an extent.

Beyond a certain point, playing while injured becomes detrimental and selfish. In an NHL game maybe it's more likely to be a positive because the player who would suit up for you is a 13th forward. Not so here. It could have been Tage Thompson - who is a legit top line star player

Yes Kreider is still insanely fast but he still should have been benched
Guess who else is also really really fast, probably faster? Kyle Connor. Oh ya, he’s also 4th in the NHL in goals and 6th in points. And they scratched him for 6 minutes of Tkachuk and old man Kreider. Make it make sense.
 
All I know is that planning multiple fights from the start of the game in a team group chat is so incredibly immature and childish, it has no place in international hockey. Can't believe the Americans did that. Major cringe.
 
All I know is that planning multiple fights from the start of the game in a team group chat is so incredibly immature and childish, it has no place in international hockey. Can't believe the Americans did that. Major cringe.
The major cringe is finding a way to take offense to what gave the entire tournament momentum and sparked one of the more entertaining games we have had the pleasure of watching in some time.

That game had constant adrenaline, physicality, and commitment by all players, all game. I cannot imagine being outraged by this.
 
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That might be true, I don't see enough of Barkov to be definitive on this. It is also true that Matthews is one of the top five defensive forwards in the game.

What would Barkov had done if his defenceman made the wrong play and chased the puck carrier behind the net?
Matthews had no reason to chase after Marner, who was in the corner along the boards. Especially at the cost of leaving the best player in the world all alone in the slot. Marner was not in a dangerous scoring position at all, so why the need to go to him? McDavid on the other hand was in a prime position to score and did. Matthews messed up and it wasn't because if Fox.
 
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The major cringe is finding a way to take offense to what gave the entire tournament momentum and sparked one of the more entertaining games we have had the pleasure of watching in some time.

That game had constant adrenaline, physicality, and commitment by all players, all game. I cannot imagine being outraged by this.

It just seems very un-Canadian to me to plan fights in a group chat, let them fight organically, but to plan it in a chat like some high schoolers? yikes.
 
All I know is that planning multiple fights from the start of the game in a team group chat is so incredibly immature and childish, it has no place in international hockey. Can't believe the Americans did that. Major cringe.
Fighting makes hockey better. The IIHF needs to change their rules about fighting to be the same as the NHL. Alpha males scrap. The players are Alpha. Let them go at it.
 
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I am very, very far from a Tkatchuk fan, but don't we usually call an injured player that still wants to play in a very important game someone full of heart?
"Wants to play" is very different from actually playing if clearly unable. Cost his team dearly.

Playing hurt vs injured.

Even Bergeron was not going to play that game 7 after the punctured lung etc.
 
Quinn Hughes was a big loss for the US. He’s like Makar is for Canada. And clearly Makar was a difference maker in the Canada win.
makar wasnt even 100%. not sure quinn would have thrived in a very physical game like that, just look at jack. still a big loss though.
 
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Mike Sullivan, John Hynes, David Quinn - No way US was winning.
Are you sure about that? Right before the last NHL games there was a thread on here about how John Hynes is a good coach lol.

I don’t understand how David Quinn was on this staff or any NHL staff anymore. He shouldn’t be coaching anywhere higher than the collegiate level. MAYBE the AHL.

It’s hilarious that a coach who was already 50-something years old when he got his first NHL gig (technically he was an NHL assistant for a season in his 40s before that) is still a hot commodity for even an assistant job after how horrible his two head coaching stints went. If he were a younger guy still then I could understand the fascination, but he’s not.

I guess that was Sullivan’s doing, as he’s the assistant to him in Pittsburgh.

And Sullivan is lousy anymore. Coasting on a reputation that’s becoming dated.
 
This narrative needs to end. He doesn’t have the IQ, effort, or ability for this to be true. Barkov wouldn’t have guarded the air. He would’ve picked a lane or stuck on Mcdavid. Marner was not as much of a threat on the wall.
Cool. Selke voting might disagree with what you are calling narrative. You obviously don't watch Matthews a lot of you question his hockey IQ.

Also cool that the guy leading the league in primary assists that has the puck in the offensive zone with time and space is not a threat.

You seem to think you know a lot about hockey. Do you think Fox played the final goal correctly? You haven't mentioned him at all here.

Matthews had no reason to chase after Marner, who was in the corner along the boards. Especially at the cost of leaving the best player in the world all alone in the slot. Marner was not in a dangerous scoring position at all, so why the need to go to him? McDavid on the other hand was in a prime position to score and did. Matthews messed up and it wasn't because if Fox.
Obviously, you can't say Matthews played it right. Canada scored. If Fox plays it properly are we having this discussion?
 
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I am very, very far from a Tkatchuk fan, but don't we usually call an injured player that still wants to play in a very important game someone full of heart?

Maybe if you're playing for your club team and you scratch the 4th line enforcer that you can outplay at 20%.

The problem is this was the best players in America and they scratched their leading goal scorer (Kyle Connor) so Tkachuk can show up at 20%. He basically had a negative impact this game.

Do you think a healthy Kyle Connor could have been more impactful than whatever Tkachuk was doing? To add insult to injury, he made them play with 11 forwards because he wouldn't let them take him out of the game for Kyle Connor before the game and just rode the bench half the game.
 
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I am very, very far from a Tkatchuk fan, but don't we usually call an injured player that still wants to play in a very important game someone full of heart?
Well there's levels, right? Plenty of players on both teams were banged up, some more than others. But even with that, they were able to play, and in most cases, contribute positively.

Tkachuk literally couldn't even get on the ice. There has to be some nuance here in how we interpret the nobleness of playing injured.
 
Cool. Selke voting might disagree with what you are calling narrative. You obviously don't watch Matthews a lot of you question his hockey IQ.

Also cool that the guy leading the league in primary assists that has the puck in the offensive zone with time and space is not a threat.

You seem to think you know a lot about hockey. Do you think Fox played the final goal correctly? You haven't mentioned him at all here.


Obviously, you can't say Matthews played it right. Canada scored. If Fox plays it properly are we having this discussion?
Matthews has excellent offensive IQ. He’s in the top echelon when it comes to that. His defensive IQ, position, and effort is lackadaisical and there are plenty of examples of this. He just isn’t a “great” defensive player. Hes not bad at all, but he’s not in the upper tier. Marner was a threat to pass, not drive the net. Matthews played that terribly. Marner had no option BUT the pass. Fox didn’t play that well but Matthews doubled down and failed miserably. I can’t even understand what he was going to do for. He got out of position to guard no one. He didn’t even double Marner, he just was in a dead zone doing nothing. I’m not absolving Fox, he played that bad.
 
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I respect Tkachuk's willingness to try and battle through an injury to play for his country.

What cost us was Auston Matthews leaving the center of the ice in the defensive zone to go attack a player who is standing in the corner on the goal line. You wouldn't see guys in the ECHL make that bone-headed of a play. He owes each and every American an individual apology.
 
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