Matthew Tkachuk and Mark Stone, not to be invited to the same wedding? Too Late

The series between the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights is still intense. If you can remember what happened in the previous games, which took place many moons ago, you create animosity.

After all, you can tell from watching both teams that they want to play quality field hockey. And for the Panthers, that obviously translates first and foremost into Matthew Tkachuk.

The forward, in his first season in Florida, is clearly the story of the playoffs. After misdirecting his intensity in games #1 and #2 of the series, he has learned to channel his energies more effectively.

Last night, in Game #3, he scored his second goal of the final. And since it sent the game into overtime, there’s no denying its importance.

Earlier in the game, he had left after receiving a blow. It was thought to be a shoulder injury, but in the end, the concussion spotter had done his job.

But that didn’t stop the player coming back to score and help his team win 3-2.

Without it, the Panthers would now be trailing 0-3 in the final series. We’d already be crowning Jonathan Marchessault (13 goals in his last 13 games, a 2023 series high) as playoff MVP.

We’d already be preparing the parade on the strip.

But since we shouldn’t sell the bear’s skin before we’ve killed it, “the most important game of the season, according to Tkachuk” was won by Florida last night.

And for the seventh time in as many opportunities during the 2023 series, it was won in overtime.

The Panthers may be doing something like the 1993 Canadiens. After all, they were a neglected club that often won in overtime during the playoffs that year.

Will it end as well as it did 30 years ago (to the day) for the Panthers this year?

Whether Vegas is playing well, the referees are making questionable calls or Sergei Bobrovsky has won another game, it’s Tkachuk who continues to get all the attention.

As long as we’re talking about him, let’s talk about him.

We know that when Tkachuk goes, the Panthers go. He upsets the opposition, including Mark Stone. The Knights captain, whose stick may not be legal (another link to 1993…), notably had a run-in with Tkachuk in Game 1 of the final.

But soon, the two men will have to make their peace. And why? Because they’ll both be at Brady Tkachuk’s wedding this summer.

The Sens captain has his brother as best man and Mark Stone, his former teammate in Ottawa, among his groomsmen. So, Brady recognizes that his bachelor party could be a bumpy ride.

That’s enough to make Owen Beck and Logan Mailloux’s “problems” take a back seat.

I guess time will pass, but still: Tkachuk is a pretty intense guy and if the Stanley Cup Final ends badly between the two guys, it could brew at the wedding.

Imagine if the Cup winner had to bring Lord Stanley’s trophy as a +1…

In short

– Good point.

– Alouettes players want to learn French. [BPM Sports]

– Well done.

– Coming up.

– Of note regarding the combine.