Matthew Tkachuk and Team USA were knocked out of the World Championship by Team Canada in the quarterfinals. Now, Tkachuk has shared his honest opinion on the tournament.
“It’s good hockey!” he says.
After three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances and two Stanley Cup victories in a row, the Florida Panthers missed the playoffs this season.
READ MORE: Keith Tkachuk perfectly sums up Brady Tkachuk
Team USA knocked out
That gave Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk an opportunity to play in the World Championship for Team USA. Coming off a gold-medal victory at the Olympics, Team USA’s World Championship ended in disappointment. Their tournament came to an end in the quarterfinals, where they lost 4–0 to Team Canada. Team Finland went on to win the gold medal. Matthew Tkachuk finished the tournament with four goals and three assists in five games.
This year’s World Championship was played in Switzerland on a larger ice surface than in the NHL.
Matthew Tkachuk shares his take
On the Wingmen podcast, Matthew Tkachuk shared his thoughts on the World Championship with his brother and co-host, Brady Tkachuk.
“People shit on some of the level of play. It’s fucking good hockey, it’s great. It’s definitely different hockey, but it’s great hockey. I think it’s harder over there than in the NHL. The ice is way bigger, which means there are fewer scoring opportunities. People think that bigger ice means high-flying hockey and more chances. No, if you score early, you can just keep them to the outside the whole game, and all you have to do is get the puck out. It takes like ten more seconds to get in. It’s crazy,” Tkachuk said on the podcast.
You can watch the video below.
READ MORE: Team Canada mocked by fans after losing bronze-medal game
