Matthew Tkachuk wasn’t shy about his feelings toward Drew Doughty before Wednesday night’s grunge match. Doughty laid into the Flames rookie after Tkachuk earned himself a two-game suspension for elbowing the Kings defenseman in the face a week and a half ago, calling the forward a “pretty dirty player.”
NHL scores 2017: The Kings get the last laugh on Matthew Tkachuk’s fight night
Calgary will have to wait another day to clinch a playoff spot.
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Tkachuk’s response? Well, via the Calgary Sun, it was exactly what you’d expect from a 19-year-old:
“I expected more from him, honestly, than to go right to the media and start complaining after a loss. But he’s a good player. He’s a good enough player where he doesn’t have to worry about any of that stuff. He’s a skilled guy and everything like that, and he’s won a couple of Cups.”
The Kings visited the Flames with playoff hopes on the line in Calgary on Wednesday, and it went par for the course for a game between two Pacific Division teams vying for a wild card spot. In total the game held:
- A pregame friendly conversation
- Two fights, and one failed attempt
- 74 total penalty minutes
- Tkachuk’s quest to fight every single Kings player. He didn’t, but he almost took off the head of Doughty instead.
There was actual hockey that was played, as the Kings held off the Flames from clinching a playoff spot for another day. However, it all played second fiddle to the Matthew Tkachuk vs. the Los Angeles Kings show.
And I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this either, as the Flames and Kings will play ONE MORE TIME before the end of the season. Mark down April 6 for the continuation of this saga, and if the Kings aren’t eliminated from playoff contention by then, watch out.
Scores
Three Things We Learned
1. The Blackhawks are a team of extremes lately
On Saturday, the Blackhawks suffered their worst loss of the season in a 7-0 shutout against the Panthers. Wednesday, Chicago bested the flightless Penguins 5-1 for just their second win in five games.
It was a much-needed win for the Blackhawks, who put up four goals in the first period on Marc-Andre Fleury before letting their goaltender do the rest.
On the Penguins’ side, there’s no real reason to panic. Injuries have decimated the team, but the signs from a few big players have been pretty encouraging.
2. Kevin Shattenkirk has been a real boon for the Capitals
The former Blues defenseman hasn’t had a goal yet with his new club, but he’s contributed in other ways.
Shattenkirk had a pair of assists in the Captials’ 5-3 win over Colorado, including this booming one at the end of the first.
3. St. Louis is also waiting in the wings for a postseason ticket
The Blues and Carter Hutton only had to deal with 23 Coyotes shots against in their 3-1 win in Arizona. With the victory, St. Louis is now one step away from clinching a playoff berth over their last six straight seasons. Not bad!
Impact Moment
Wednesday wasn’t Jarome Iginla’s first game back in Calgary since being traded to the Kings, but the former captain of the Flames put together a Gordie Howe Hat Trick against his old club.
Stat of the Night
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