Brady Tkachuk did what he usually does on Monday night during Game 2 between the Ottawa Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes.
He got right up in Jackson Blake’s face, leaned in really close, pretended to swing at him, and Blake reacted so strongly that people on the internet noticed.
Cameras captured everything. The little stick taps, the fierce look, and the small win.
This part of the Senators captain’s style divides opinions in the locker room. Some people really like the way he stirs things up, while others think he should focus more on the team name on his jersey.
Both sides have their points.
The version of Brady Tkachuk that stands out the most when the cameras are on him.
Doing the fake punch doesn’t actually help Ottawa win Game 2. No one thinks it does. Travis Green would prefer to see his captain lead a powerful first-line play instead of winning a showdown during a break.
But those showdowns get attention. That’s what Tkachuk has worked his whole NHL career to create, and it’s why players from Carolina were watching him instead of concentrating on making plays in their own area.
Here’s a clip if you want to see Blake’s reaction in slow motion.
Blake, who is 22, is a young forward for the Hurricanes and has spent a whole season figuring out how to compete against players just like Tkachuk. Coach Rod Brind’Amour has been understanding during his growth. Unfortunately, Tuesday was not the night that patience paid off.
Making a young opponent jump isn’t a stat you can find on the scoresheet.
But it does show when Carolina plays the next shifts, and the one after that, and even in the next moments when the puck bounces off a stick because someone is too busy watching Tkachuk instead of paying attention to the game.
That’s something everyone agrees on. Tkachuk gets into the minds of his rivals, and that affects them in a way that can be counted, even if it seems silly sometimes.
On the other hand, critics point out a different angle. A leader who seems to start trouble with his stare while his team is struggling to come back can send a bad message.
Ottawa started Monday trailing 0-1 after losing 2-0 to Carolina on Saturday. They needed Tkachuk to stay calm more than they needed him to perform.
Instead, they ended up with both.
The flipside is the part the critics have. A captain picking fights with his eyes when his team is trying to claw back in a series can be the exact wrong frequency.
Ottawa came into Monday down 0-1 after a 2-0 loss in Carolina on Saturday. They needed poise from Tkachuk before they needed theater.
What they got was both.
Whether any of this matters depends on the score when the buzzer sounds. Tkachuk making Blake flinch is a highlight. Tkachuk scoring the tying goal would be a story.
The difference between those two versions of him is the difference between a good player and a franchise one.
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