.png)
Florida hockey fans- The Chosen One has risen. The Savior has arrived... and he is here to bring Lord Stanley to the sunshine state. Matthew Tkachuk is HIM. Hey, should I start with a zinger? Not only is the Chuk "him"- Matthew Tkachuk is the best player right now in the National Hockey League. Oh, yeah baby- I said it! Read it back- why don't cha. Connor McDavid at home again, watching the Chuk give off a performance for the ages! Hey, I'm not hatin' on your McJesus, I am just sayin' ya might have the "savior" confused ok-ok. Check this- the savior on the ice is Florida's Matthew Tkachuk; as he has marched the Panthers to their second Stanley Cup Final in franchise history, after only making the playoffs by one point. Tkachuk means clutch. We are witnessing one of the more special playoff performances of all-time for any Big-4 sport, and rotten ESPN and the others don't feel the need to acknowledge it! Nasty work. I got it covered- don't you worry.
Florida is inches away from that first Stanley Cup dub. They can smell it. The chops are wet and mobile & it's due in big thanks to Tkachuk and the Panther's gritty goaltender- Sergei Bobrovsky. Can't write this post without his mention. He will get his own post- allow me to stay focused on the Chuk. Tkachuk has been so superb for the Panthers in this Stanley Cup Playoff- and is doing it in every fashion of hockey. You can quickly understand Tkachuk's dominate play simply by looking at the playoff stat leaders. Here is how he ranks in the big categories this playoff:
Chucky has been elite per the stats, right? Those stats don't tell nearly enough of his tale. Tkachuk has been outstanding in the biggest moments of the game for the Panthers. I have been ravin' about what we are experiencing with Jimmy Butler in the NBA Playoffs- but what Tkachuk is doing on the ice, is even more special & he is doing it in the very clutchest of moments. Deep in close games; with it all on the line; just straight up puttin' his city and team on his back. Florida has been in gritty; grindy; and intense battles thus far. They may have swept Carolina in the ECF; who was my Cup pick; but the goal differential was only 4- as each game was decided by just one goal. Game 1 went into 4 overtimes! Game 2 decided in one OT. Game 3 was 1-nil. Game 4 decided with a goal in the final 5 seconds of regulation. Tkachuk had three of the four deciding goals and assisted the fourth. Two in overtime & the third being a series clinching dagger to avoid OT with 4.9 seconds left of regulation. Stone cold killer the Chuk is. Hitman esque. Pure beaut. State of North Carolina must hate this man. A dream killer he is- savagery in it's sharpest form. This dude Tkachuk slayed the Hurricanes in the heart basically all four games. Being swept sucks. Being swept the way the Hurricanes got swept- is just f'n brutal & they blame Tkachuk the most. Tkachuk's three game winning goals are tied for the second most all-time in a single playoff series. Check out the three daggers that struck Hurricanes' fans to their core:
Tkachuk is clutch. Trademarked. Official. This cat is playing unreal. Tkachuk's playmaking has been elite, offensively. The ice vision as good as McDavid's. Tkachuk's net control in the scoring zone has been elite and relentlessly good. Chuk was a pure nightmare for both tendies in the net for Carolina. Not only was he utilizing the scoring windows and creating plays with both his presence and his puck skills- it was the vision and handling that mattered. I say that because of how it can confuse the goalie. That is how they delivered their fatal blows. Wonderful offensive hockey- especially from Tkachuk. Florida can't win without his offensive playmaking and knack for the net. Simply can't. Tkachuk is showing you what "Most Valuable" means... and why he was a nominee for MVP. He's all over the ice just causing havoc on offense and defense. I have been adoring his outstanding offense, but Tkachuk is making unreal plays on the defensive side as well:
That is playoff hockey! That is a team's star. Dandy of a play on defense. Pure grit. That's the level of play that Tkachuk is having every minute he is on the ice. Level of play that wins championships, which is why Florida has an arm raised trying to grasp that glorious prize. Chuk now goes to war against one- final foe: The Vegas Golden Knights. One final battle. One final test. Both teams are seeking their first championships. Vegas obviously not having to wait as long for the one- as they are just in their sixth season. Vegas are just the 3rd expansion team in history to reach the Stanley Cup Final multiple times within their first 6 NHL seasons. The Knights are coming into battle, hot and furious as they have the same task to accomplish. A deep roster of shooters who are ready to flame against the fiery Matthew Tkachuk. I expect the Knights to be absolute game. Oh, man. This should be one helluva final. Can Chuk continue his heroic play and do his savior slide into hockey galore?
Follow our Socials and my personal Twitter:
Twitter: @SpittinCap & @djp_spittincap
IG: @spittin_cap
XXI is streaming now on all platforms!
Make sure to click the heart and leave a like... share for others to read
Opinion. Fact. Or Straight Up Cap.
Comments