Sometimes it feels like headlines just follow Matthew and Brady Tkachuk along wherever they go. Between the Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators, the Tkachuk brothers are never too far from the action. But this time around, all the talk has centered around Brady Tkachuk’s Senators.
With Ottawa locked in a chase for a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the latest episode of the Tkachuk brothers’ “Wingmen” podcast was ill-timed, especially given some of their father, Keith Tkachuk’s, takes. Those comments were like jet fuel to the campfire that was all the rumors and speculation around the Senators. And if that wasn’t enough, Brady Tkachuk was also disciplined after Ottawa’s 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Why Did the NHL Fine Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk $2,500?
The game against the Buffalo Sabres was always going to be crucial for these Senators, what with Ottawa on a 3-game skid. So when they took the ice to lock horns with Buffalo, Tkachuk and the rest of his crew gave it their all to arrest that 3-game slide.
While they eventually ended up on top in a 4-1 win at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, it came at a price for Tkachuk.
The Senators’ captain received a 2-minute slashing minor, while he was seated on the bench, no less, after thwacking Beck Malenstyn in the face with the butt end of his stick. He also got into a fight with Logan Stanley to get some retribution from when Stanley got the better of him, back when he was with the Winnipeg Jets.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety wasted little time coming down hard on Tkachuk and meting out discipline. On Friday afternoon, they announced that the department had levied a $2,500 fine on Tkachuk for “unsportsmanlike conduct towards an opponent while on Ottawa’s bench.”
All in all, Tkachuk finished the evening with three hits and a block in 15:55 minutes of ice time, just a goal away from a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
When all is said and done, however, Tkachuk will not mind the $2,500 fine if it fires up his troops. The 4-1 win over the Sabres marked Ottawa’s 18th comeback win of the season, a mark that’s tied for the sixth-most in a season in franchise history.
It also vaulted Ottawa into the wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. There are seven games left in the season for the franchise, with the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers breathing down their necks. Every win counts from here on.
The coming three-game slate, however, could prove to be a massive challenge. Games against the Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning could make or break the Senators’ season.
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