{"id":555258,"date":"2026-03-21T16:15:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T16:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/555258\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T16:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T16:15:08","slug":"quick-shifts-brady-tkachuk-gives-battle-of-ontario-spicy-new-twist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/555258\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick Shifts: Brady Tkachuk gives Battle of Ontario spicy new twist"},"content":{"rendered":"

A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep. Mama always said, \u201cIf you wear a Habs sweater to a Leafs-Islanders game,\u00a0keep your head up<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0The reporter\u2019s question thrusts Morgan Rielly<\/a> into a tricky spot.<\/p>\n

Was the longest-serving Toronto Maple Leaf bothered that Ottawa Senators<\/a> captain\u00a0Brady Tkachuk<\/a> went on his podcast and called out his provincial rivals for\u00a0their non-response<\/a>\u00a0to Radko Gudas\u2019s illegal and injurious kneeing of Auston Matthews?<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Rielly replied, trying to sound unbothered.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are allowed to share their opinions.\u201d<\/p>\n

But usually the opinion-sharers are talking TV heads, radio guests or fans with wifi. Active hockey players, generally, steer clear from weighing in on controversies that don\u2019t involve their team.<\/p>\n

Things have changed, though. The Tkachuk brothers are riding the high of Team USA’s first Olympic gold medal in 46 years, a victory under Matthews\u2019 national captaincy. They are also outspoken fellas who are having a hoot with their new toy, the\u00a0successful<\/a>\u00a0Wingmen\u00a0podcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour captain gets taken out like that, you gotta have a way better response,\u201d Tkachuk said, just days before the Leafs would roll into Ottawa. \u201cI know how I\u2019d feel if I got hit like that and nobody really jumped in there. I\u2019d be pretty pissed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Put yourself in the skates of Rielly, who once cross-checked Senator Ridley Greig in the face for clapping an empty-netter with gusto. Or Max Domi, who describes his feelings over the Gudas-Matthews collision as simple \u201canger.\u201d Or any other Leaf wanting to spoil the Senators\u2019 coin-flip playoff push. (The Sens have a 45.5 per cent chance of going back to the dance, according to\u00a0MoneyPuck.com<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

If the captain of a bitter playoff rival publicly called you out for being soft? Well, I\u2019d be pretty ticked.<\/p>\n

Is it a coincidence that Toronto recalled AHL scrapper Michael Pezzetta up this weekend?<\/p>\n

In this lost season, the 29-win Maple Leafs don\u2019t have many dates left that matter.<\/p>\n

The Gudas get-back on March 30 for sure. Maybe the tank-off with the Panthers on April 11.<\/p>\n

But these two final trips to Canadian Tire Centre \u2014 Saturday and the finale on April 15 \u2014 have the potential for passion.<\/p>\n

The Senators need the two points, no question. And Toronto could use a win.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0The flak the Maple Leafs are taking for their soft response to Gudas strikes a familiar chord with the Buffalo Sabres<\/a>, who got roasted for letting Stefan Noesen<\/a> get away with\u00a0a helmet-popping headshot\u00a0on star centre Tage Thompson<\/a> last season.<\/p>\n

Compare that quiet retaliation to the brouhaha we saw from the Sabres when the Lightning rolled into town recently, or this week when Brayden McNabb levelled\u00a0Zach Benson, cutting through the high slot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now, the Sabres behave like 20 musketeers. One for all, all for one.<\/p>\n

Owen Power<\/a> laments that their lack of togetherness in 2024-25 was \u201cunacceptable.\u201d Coach Lindy\u00a0Ruff says the Thompson incident was a \u201chard lesson\u201d that spurred difficult conversations behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou learn from it. You move on. You grow as a team. You talk about, \u2018It starts with me,\u2019\u201d Ruff explains. \u201cYou talk about what true teammates are like and what they\u2019ll do for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Captain Rasmus Dahlin<\/a> describes the embarrassment as \u201ca wake-up call\u201d in the dressing room.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe told each other: \u2018This is never going to happen again.\u2019 And this year, we really worked on the team chemistry and the brotherhood,\u201d Dahlin says. \u201cNow it just comes naturally. If someone does anything to one of the guys in here, I\u2019ll protect him. So, that’s the culture we’ve created here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wait a sec. How do you work on brotherhood?<\/p>\n

\u201cDrink beer,\u201d Dahlin says, smiling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But he\u2019s not kidding. Ask any beer-leaguer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really have to find ways to get the group together and really get to know each other on a deep level. That\u2019s different from just being a teammate. That comes with going to dinners. Like I said, drink some beers. Talk. Get to know each other. I think that’s the most important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dahlin\u2019s draught of choice?<\/p>\n

\u201cHmmm\u2026 something local. Labatt Blue.\u201d<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Around this time last season, the Sabres\u2019 14th consecutive that ended in 82 or less, we walked out of KeyBank Center after a conversation with Dahlin thinking:\u00a0This guy is a Norris contender and he might be done with this city, this never-ending rebuild.<\/p>\n

Did Dahlin, now in Year 8, ever worry the Sabres might never make the playoffs during his tenure?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, no,\u201d Dahlin replies. \u201cI’ve always believed one time it will turn around. It\u2019s a lot of years and a lot of hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n

The captain is savouring the fruits of the Sabres\u2019 labour, at the rink and in a city forced to be patient.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a big difference. It’s no joke. Like, we are real brothers. Now I really care deeply about all the guys in here. You know, we\u2019ve gone through a lot together. They’ve been with me on my journey, and they’ve really been there for me. So, I have a lot of love for each guy in this room,\u201d Dahlin says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m in the car, driving to the rink. Usually, you only see Bills stuff. But now it’s kind of changing to Sabres stuff. I know a bunch of people around town, and they\u2019ve just been telling me how crazy it’s been, how much love they’re getting. It’s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

How\u2019s this stat for crazy?\u00a0The Sabres are 32-6-2 over their past 40, the winningest 40-game stretch in the NHL since the \u201995 Detroit Red Wings (33).<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go to the grocery store, pick up food or whatever, and people are stopping and thanking us for what we’re doing,\u201d Owen Power says. \u201cTo have the city rally around us has been fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thompson describes a swelling anticipation for springtime hockey in Western New York. Something special is brewing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been the most fun hockey I’ve played here. Obviously, there\u2019s nothing better than winning,\u201d says Thompson, hot off a gold medal. \u201cThe process, what our group\u2019s been through and where we\u2019re at now, makes it feel that much better. Just because of all the adversity we faced and having to overcome some challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can hear the buzz around town and see it here in the building. Obviously, it\u2019s been long overdue. So, there\u2019s just suspense and excitement in the air around the city of Buffalo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once tight and frustrated, Dahlin smiles easier these days: \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best families in the world to be here, to be a part of the change. It\u2019s indescribable, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0The night smoking-hot, Hart-contending Nikita Kucherov<\/a> registered his 100th point, making that\u00a0six\u00a0triple-digit campaigns, he didn\u2019t even come out to speak to reporters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The spotlight-shunning superstar just goes about his business on the ice and doesn\u2019t seem to care much about the credit and conversation he should be getting after the buzzer sounds. Even after a resounding win and a four-point effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ho hum. My teammates and head coach can sing my praises.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoetry on ice, watching him play,\u201d Jon Cooper says. \u201cHe sees things other guys don\u2019t. I\u2019ve been fortunate to have a front-row seat to it for almost a decade. And just his ability to create and his vision is unparalleled.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are world-class players in this league. You know, I just had a couple over in Milan. But they play a different style than Nikita. He plays a fast game, but he has the ability to slow the whole thing down, so that even people that are probably novices at hockey can watch and say, \u2018Oh, I see what he’s doing.\u2019 It\u2019s almost like he\u2019s teaching a class when he’s doing it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the details \u2014 takes off the wall, deception with the eye, snap decisions to shoot or pass \u2014 that have turned Kucherov into your favourite hockey player\u2019s favourite hockey player.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other night, he had an entry on a power-play breakout that I\u2019d never seen before,\u201d Cooper says. \u201cI thought I\u2019d seen it all. I haven\u2019t seen it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

New-again Lightning Corey Perry says he made a point to watch Tampa games when he was out in the Western Conference before his own puck drop in part because he enjoys seeing what Kucherov is stirring up.<\/p>\n

Over his past 45 games, the winger has piled 95 points and a plus-44 rating. Over that time, he has more four-point efforts than blank sheets. Since Dec. 20, Kucherov has outscored Connor McDavid<\/a> by nine goals and 15 points. He\u2019s outscored Nathan MacKinnon by eight goals and 20 points. (Quick aside: Did the Russian\u2019s rest during the Olympics help? Discuss amongst yourselves.)<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he played here (in Toronto), it would probably be a lot more attention. But this guy\u2019s generational. I haven\u2019t seen many players like this in my entire life. It’s impressive. I don’t even know what to say,\u201d says teammate Brandon Hagel<\/a>, who played with McDavid, MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini<\/a> in Milan.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is, in my opinion, the best player in the world. He shows it by his work ethic. He shows it in his play. And he shows it for \u2014 what? \u2014 six years in a row, he\u2019s got 100 points. So, I mean, the tale tells it all. Two Cups, you name it, he\u2019s got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

What elevates Kucherov, Hagel believes, are his twin abilities to control tempo and make the other four skaters wearing his logo look better.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s tough to make everyone around you a better player, and that\u2019s what he does every single night. It\u2019s a privilege to play with him,\u201d Hagel continues. \u201cBecause every time he steps out there, something could happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hart vote is getting interesting, along with the Art Ross race, folks.<\/p>\n

Kucherov (114 points) and McDavid (115) go head-to-head Saturday.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0Head coach Patrick Roy was asked where his New York Islanders might be without super rookie Matthew Schaefer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to think about that,\u201d Roy replied.<\/p>\n

Schaefer piles the astounding on top of the amazing, and this week he became the youngest defenceman in NHL history to reach 50 points.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s remarkable is that the 18-year-old\u2019s offence is (a) boosting a franchise not known for having a ton of it and (b) not arriving at the expense of defence.<\/p>\n

Hence, Schaefer\u2019s 24:20 ice time and plus-16 rating.<\/p>\n

One observer will rave about the teenager\u2019s offensive instincts. Another might point out his poise under pressure. A third will mention his skating. And a fourth will gush over his hockey sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the rush comes against us, he\u2019s gapping so well. He\u2019s got great stick,\u201d Roy says. \u201cHonestly, he\u2019s been doing a really nice job in every area of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew he had the offensive skills, but the way he\u2019s been defending, it\u2019s been impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0Schaefer\u2019s homecoming game in Toronto Tuesday was juiced by the blueliner\u2019s estimation that his support group inside Scotiabank Arena might reach four digits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Did fellow Isles freshman and Oakville, Ont., native Calum Ritchie feel like his homecoming game was getting overshadowed?<\/p>\n

\u201cBy Schaefer\u2019s 1,000 people coming?\u201d Ritchie replied at morning skate, with a sly grin. \u201cI\u2019m just glad to have all my family here, all my friends. It\u2019s going to be a blast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Ritchie admitted he didn\u2019t have as many supporters as Schaefer, he said he was \u201cplaying for free.\u201d Then he made the Maple Leafs pay.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s crazy,\u201d the 21-year-old said. \u201cI was at dinner with my parents yesterday, my sister, and we were talking about just how crazy it is I\u2019m playing in this building. It will be pretty cool to be on that ice tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

No stranger to SBA \u2014 the family bought a whack of 2016 World Cup tickets so he got to see the comet that was Team North America live \u2014 Ritchie was the most noticeable player on the ice Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

An assist, a season-high four shots, plus the game-winner.<\/p>\n

Looking back a year later, the Brock Nelson deadline deal appears to have served both trade partners well.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0Jack Hughes<\/a>,\u00a0to ESPN<\/a>, on his Olympic golden goal puck:\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m trying to get it. Like, that\u2019s bull—- that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sidney Crosby,\u00a0to\u00a0<\/a>The Athletic<\/a>, on his Olympic golden goal puck: \u201cI didn\u2019t even think about it that way, to be honest with you. I was just happy that I scored the goal. I was happy that the puck was going to the Hall of Fame.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christians strive to abide by a lofty standard:\u00a0What would Jesus do?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hockey players would serve themselves well by aspiring to similar heights:\u00a0What would Sidney do?<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0The Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions each boast five teams with a positive goal differential. The Central has four of them, the worst of those being Utah at plus-24.<\/p>\n

The Pacific barely has two, Vegas (plus-5) and Edmonton (plus-4). The Golden Knights and Oilers trail the Ducks (minus-11) for the Pacific\u2019s regular-season title.<\/p>\n

Which begs some questions: Should the NHL revisit its playoff format<\/a>? (Absolutely, but Gary Bettman is having none of it.) Are the Mammoth low-key outsmarting the Wild by charting a post-season path through the Pacific? (Hmmm\u2026) And has a team ever given up more goals than it has scored and still won top seed in its division?<\/p>\n

Yes. A whopping eight times, in fact. But only once in the cap era.<\/p>\n

The 1967-68 Flyers (minus-6 in the West), 1975-76 Blackhawks (minus-7 in the Smythe), 1976-77 Blues (minus-37 in the Smythe), 1978-79 Blackhawks (minus-33 in the Smythe), 1979-80 Blackhawks (minus-9 in the Smythe), 1986-87 Blues (minus-12 in the Norris), 1988-89 Red Wings (minus-3 in the Norris), and 2011-12 Panthers (minus-24 in the Southeast) all have the dubious distinction.<\/p>\n

Anaheim is on track to join the club.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Walk into a post-game dressing room of a team has just won in any fashion, and the reporter knows what he or she is in for.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Victory music has just been blasted. A player-of-the-game token has been gifted from one sweaty dude to another. High fives have been exchanged.<\/p>\n

The players are generally in good spirits, their answers fleshed out and positive. Our goalie was awesome and how about that superstar\u2019s finish! We needed the two points.<\/p>\n

Maybe a milestone has been achieved, perhaps an unlikely hero has emerged. The possibility of a juicy story exists.<\/p>\n

Walk in post-game following a regulation loss, and the reporter knows the drill.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Voices are lowered, and the air feels heavy. The players may lament a poor effort or remind them of how close they came. Answers are shorter. Smiles are not allowed.<\/p>\n

But there is also potential for vocal frustration or blame \u2014 of the refs, of a goalie, of a missed assignment, or (gasp) a coach. We needed the two points \u2014 and missed \u2019em.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Maybe a golden opportunity has been squandered, or a disturbing trend has emerged.<\/p>\n

Covering a regular-season OT or shootout loss, however, is the journalistic equivalent of the indecisive Larry David meme.<\/p>\n

The players and coach are seldom happy nor too disappointed. Hey, at least they got a point. And shootouts and 3-on-3 don\u2019t exist when it matters anyway. One coach memorably dismissed a shootout loss, saying: \u201cThey won a skills contest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Try painting a room beige but make it pop. Write a poem about a shrug.<\/p>\n

The thrill of victory! The agony of defeat! The gripping indifference of an OTL!<\/p>\n

Ah, well. On to Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0You can keep your Trevor Zegras highlights.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Former Maple Leafs prospect and future Ken Reid\u00a0interview candidate<\/a>\u00a0Semyon Der-Arguchintsev scored the Shootout Goal of the Year.<\/p>\n

The behind-both-legs roof job the skillful Moscow Dynamo forward executes on Spartak goaltender Artyom Zagidulin is so swift, it demands repeat viewings:<\/p>\n

The affable 25-year-old Peterborough Petes product\u00a0known as SDA<\/a>\u00a0appeared in just one game for the 2022-23 Leafs before continuing his career in the KHL. He has set a career high of 36 points this season \u2014 and set the Internet ablaze with his shootout wizardry.<\/p>\n

Was his coach, Vyacheslav Kozlov, kidding when he told Der-Arguchintsev that was his final shootout attempt? Must be.<\/p>\n

12.\u00a0Big shout out to road pal David Alter.<\/p>\n

The Toronto beat reporter set the gold standard for attendance, taking in 440 consecutive Maple Leafs games \u2014 an ironman streak that, without aid of a seat on the team charter, will never be beat. (Nor should it be attempted.)<\/p>\n

When it comes to travel hacks and hotel scouring, the man is an animal. A run that long and unique takes some dedication. What\u2019s wild is that, even after Alter\u2019s streak ended Sunday due to a Minneapolis snowstorm, he immediately began a new streak.<\/p>\n

So, tip of the cap to hockey reporting\u2019s Phil Kessel. Our one of one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":555259,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[64,63,575,85],"class_list":["post-555258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=555258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555258\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/555259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=555258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=555258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=555258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}