Matthew Tkachuk is no stranger to scraps, but one of his combatants in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs surprised the hockey world.
With their lopsided Game 2 loss to the Panthers all but sealed, the Bruins brought out extra physicality in an attempt to set the tone for the next contest. The late-game chippiness didn't sit well with Tkachuk, who took it upon himself to handle what Boston was throwing Florida's way.
Tkachuk didn't deal with Pat Maroon or another one of the Bruins' textbook "tough guys," though. The Panther star surprisingly went toe-to-toe with David Pastrnak, who answered the bell for only the second fight of his NHL career.
"I go over and I'm talking to the refs, whatever," Tkachuk said on a recent episode of "The Cam & Stick Podcast." "(Brad) Marchand, their captain, is off the ice. So, it's Pastrnak coming over and talking. I'm like, 'Tell your guys to stop being idiots, otherwise I'm coming after you.' We just start talk and talk and talk. Then I'm like, 'Well, let's just fight next shift. He didn't say no. He wasn't like backing down or scared. A lot of respect for him. I'm not, like, the toughest guy in the world. But I mean, I don't expect a guy like him to fight in general.
"So, I just leaned over and I asked him to fight. I'm like, 'We're doing this right now. I'm not waiting until next game.' He literally looked to Monty (Jim Montgomery) and asked him. Monty's like, 'You want to?' I'm hearing this whole thing. Pastrnak's like, 'Yeah.' He's (Montgomery) like, 'All right, go ahead.' He (Pastrnak) looks at me like, 'I'm going out next shift -- power play. Let's do it.' I was like, 'I don't PK, but I'll see you out there.' I turned to Paul (Maurice) and I'm like, 'Paul, I'm going out next shift.' I think he was like, 'No, Chucky. It's a PK.' I'm like, 'Paul, I'm going to fight Pastrnak.' He was like, 'All right.'"
Tkachuk ultimately earned the last laugh when the Panthers ousted the Bruins in Game 6 of the rivals' second-round series. From there, Florida rode the momentum all the way to a Stanley Cup Finals triumph over the Edmonton Oilers.
Boston will be on the opposing bench Oct. 8 when Tkachuk and company raise their first Stanley Cup banner in franchise history. Given the recent history of the clubs, we shouldn't be surprised if we see more extracurricular activity in the Opening Night clash.
