Matthew Tkachuk and Leon Draisaitl are no strangers to each other, and during Sunday’s game between USA and Germany, Tkachuk chirped Draisaitl with some hilarious words. Now, he’s explaining why he chose to go after him.
Tkachuk and Draisaitl have faced off in the last two Stanley Cup Finals, and before that, Tkachuk played for the Calgary Flames—the biggest rival of Draisaitl’s Edmonton Oilers. In other words, the two know each other very well.
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Matthew Tkachuk chirped Draisaitl
On Sunday, they clashed again as Team USA defeated Team Germany 5–1. Tkachuk registered two assists in the win, and cameras also caught him chirping Draisaitl.
“Always a bridesmaid, never a bride,” Tkachuk was heard shouting—referencing their two straight Stanley Cup Final matchups, both of which Draisaitl lost to Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers.
”After the whistle”
Speaking to the media after the game, Tkachuk elaborated on the chirp and what it’s like to play against Draisaitl.
“Some guys you’ve got to play harder than most—physically, and maybe after the whistle sometimes, too. But I thought our line, and I thought Jack Eichel especially, did an unbelievable job of giving him and their line nothing tonight. So sometimes you’ve got to play both parts of the game. I thought we did a great job,” Tkachuk said.
Team USA has Monday off, and on Tuesday they will face the winner of the qualifying game between Sweden national ice hockey team and Latvia national ice hockey team in the quarterfinals.
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