Matthew Tkachuk loves the playoffs, but the Rangers definitely don’t love playing against him.
Tkachuk is a great player, and for the second year straight, he dominates in the postseason.
But he’s also earned a reputation for being a pest, always playing and chirping hard, trying everything to get under the skin of his opponents.
On Tuesday’s Game 4, a game that the Panthers eventually won in OT after completely outplaying the Rangers in the second and third periods, Tkachuk was involved in a hilarious exchange with the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, which ended with Tkachuk’s mouthguard landing in the crowd.
Just 48 seconds into the third period, with emotion running high, Kreider and Tkachuk needed to be separated by officials during a small scrum.
As Kreider and Tkachuk exchanged some, erm, pleasantries, Kreider suddenly reached up at Tkachuk’s mouth, and not long after, he was seen throwing something over the boards.
Looking at the replay reviews, it was obvious that Kreider stole Tkachuk’s mouthguard, and it’s far to assume that a fan got to go home with a one-of-a-kind souvenir in the form of Tkachuk’s spit-laden protection.
Postgame, Kreider was asked about the incident, but he didn’t want to get into it, given the Rangers had just lost a crucial game in their hunt for the Cup.
Igor Shesterkin has been playing incredible hockey, and if it weren’t for his goalkeeping, the Panthers would’ve won Game 4 in regulation.
Now, the series goes back to New York for Game 5.
Perhaps, a Rangers fan gets to go home with a Tkachuk mouthgard that night.
