Matthew Tkachuk has only been on the professional scene for two seasons, but the 20-year-old forward has already been labeled a pest and agitator. Last night, the son of Keith Tkachuk got under the skin of yet another player.
With just over two-minutes remaining in the second period, the Calgary Flames were dominating the Sabres on the scoreboard. Up 4-0 on the lowly Sabres, the puck trickled to netminder Robin Lehner. Lehner corralled the puck like a first-baseman in baseball, but trailed the puck was none other than Tkachuk.
Tkachuk decided it was the right time to get under the fiery skin of Lehner, so he sprayed him. Lehner (with help from Jordan Nolan) dropped Tkachuk right in the face with his glove, and the young forward met the ice with his back.
Tkachuk was on the ice, selling the forearm punch from Lehner and the check from Nolan. Tkachuk’s agitator skills were on full display, as Lehner was given a two-minute roughing penalty for the incident.
The Flames would go on to defeat Buffalo 5-1.
