Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
I think he has though, hasn’t he? Tkachuk was suspended twice in his rookie season, but I don’t recall any League discipline since then. And while he plays on the edge, agitates opposing players and will from time to time make a questionable hit, I never get the sense that he is a reckless or dangerous player. Unlike Marchand, Perry or Nazem Kadri who all have a history of willfully injuring other players I don’t see Tkachuk ever doing stupid things like this—not since his dirty elbow on Doughty. And he has never caused wilful damage like that moron Darnell Nurse did when he attacked Roman Polak, or like what Kassian did on Saturday night.
Tkachuk is still a damn easy player to cheer for. And so long as his really keen sense of where the line is from one game to the next doesn’t change, then he will continue to be a really easy guy to cheer for.
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His two suspensions are even questionable - one was for the little poke with his stick when a Red Wing was pummeling a helpless and prone Hamonic in the corridor, IRRC. The elbow on Doughty - I remain of the opinion he was trying to do his usual backwards bump, like Forsberg used to do, and his elbow just got too high. I'm not sure he meant to elbow Doughty in the face.
In contrast, look at what Kasian/Bertuzzi/Buff have done to unsuspecting or vulnerable players completely away from the play.