Quote:
Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle
One thing that I don't think has been talked about much in this whole saga from my perspective, is how / why this whole Tkachuk deciding to target Kassian started in the first place started. I mean let's be clear, if Kassian and Tkachuk fought, it's a miss match, Tkachuk knows that, he's no fool, but he's certainly finding ways to get the better of him, in a situation that in my opinion Kassian started.
And it goes back to last year in that one meaningful game in Calgary between these two teams. Kassian pulled the same crap in that game, but that time, he did so literally for no reason. There were no hits on him, there were no hits on his team mates of any substance in that game............yet Kassian (and the Oiler media for some reason) felt Tkachuk owed Kassian a fight.............mind blowing..............and he pulled the jump him tactic at that time.
In that game, Tkachuk was slew footed by Draisatl and he ended up in scrum (where nothing happened) that McDavid started with Backlund. I get the whole protect McDavid thing, but even the most bias Oiler fan would have to admit nothing remotely concerning or physical happened to any of their stars in that game, or was even attempted on their stars.
Yet some how Kassian felt like Tkachuk owed him a fight............and jumped him. There's a lot of big talk from the Oilers right now about the code etc..... but he's the one that crossed the line first. He's the one that showed Tkachuk that he was going to go outside the code and jump him. He showed Tkachuk what he's really all about, and what kind of respect he deserves........which is none. So if Tkachuk's response to a player who's shown his true colours like that, who Tkachuk surely can't beat physically in a fight, is to bide his time, and wait for opportunities to stick it to him well within the rules of the NHL, I say good for him and all this code bull #### can go right out the window because Kassian certainly proved he doesn't follow it himself.
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In the first game, McDavid had Backlund in the headlock, and tackled him dangerously to the ground (until Saturday’s game this was by a significant amount the most dirty thing to happen in the BOA for a while). Tkachuk came to protect Backlund, and jumped on McDavid. The Oilers came to think that this was Tkachuk being the aggressor against McDavid, but Tkachuk was simply protecting Backlund. Like you said, all the events from Kassian probably follow out of that McDavid Tackle.
Frankly, McDavid should still have to answer the bell for that tackle. How about a captain vs captain?