He already attacked Hischier: will the “King of the Rats” be crowned the winner of the Stanley Cup?

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As the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers march to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights. Florida also owes this “Cinderella story” to the “King of Rats”.

This refers to Matthew Tkachuk (25). One, if not the nastiest striker in the league. Nico Hischier (24) personally experienced what it means to be a target. In a league game last December, Tkachuk attacked the Swiss shortly before the end because he had injured his captain a few days earlier.

And at the start of the final he also stood out with his dirty character. During a ruckus about five minutes before the end of the match, the “King of the Guess” handed out a sucker. In total, he received 14 penalty minutes for the scramble and he left Game 1 early and without a goal – missing Florida’s 2-0 win with a shot on the post – in the locker room. In the end, the Golden Knights won their first home game of the Stanley Cup Finals 5-2.

Tkachuk’s reputation has grown since making his NHL debut in 2016 for the Calgary Flames. The youngster offended and had to listen to his behavior on the ice that was not justified by performance. “He gets on my nerves, to be honest,” LA Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, 33, told him in 2019.

But Tkachuk is developing into one of the best forwards in the NHL. He breaks the 100-point barrier twice, replacing Boston’s Brad Marchand, who for many years was considered the best bad boy in the league, as the “king of the rats,” the dirty player. If you want, you can even buy merchandise with the corresponding topic.

Cinderella story that really isn’t one

Now Tkachuk could crown his development by winning the Stanley Cup. Florida is not a blatant outsider. In 2021/22 they qualified as the best team in the Eastern Conference, but after some roster changes – Tkachuk was one of the newcomers – and injuries, the current season has been complicated for a long time. But the Panthers are finding their form in the playoffs.

First, Florida beat qualifier Boston, who set a new record with 135 points, in seven games. Supposedly easy victories over Toronto (4:1) and Carolina (4:0) follow. Tkachuk contributes 21 points. His goals decided three games in the Conference Finals – twice in overtime, once with 4.9 seconds remaining.

No wonder the “King of the Rats” is being traded as a playoff MVP by many. If he also wants to be crowned Stanley Cup winner, he will have to collect points instead of penalty minutes in the coming games.

Source : Blick