I find Tkachuk reminds me more and more of Perry every time I see him. He's got this innate ability to make plays accidentally-on-purpose. An extra shove to the defenceman or a few extra prods at the goaltender. But he's also able to burn the other team with his hands as well.
He's not a uniquely qualified player in his own end but a pest with great offensive skills...which pretty well summarizes the Perry comparison.
Do you think he'll also be an outside-of-play kind of Perry? I'm not sure I see MT shooting water into an opponent's glove....though I do think it's hilarious.
Do you think he'll also be an outside-of-play kind of Perry? I'm not sure I see MT shooting water into an opponent's glove....though I do think it's hilarious.
I see that as pretty on-par with stealing Burns' stick, in terms of cheeky moves.
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I see that as pretty on-par with stealing Burns' stick, in terms of cheeky moves.
Hahahaha, you're so right--I can't believe I forgot about that! I found that equally hilarious, if not more so, because it was Burns and MT is on our team
I think I will make a leap of a comparison here, and go to a totally different sport to draw up this comparison - Dennis Rodman.
For those that aren't familiar with Rodman's game, he was not a very big guy (relatively speaking in basketball terms), but he was a rebound machine. He might have been the smallest player on the court fighting for that rebound, but he would get it. When asked how he does it, he simply replied: "I want that ball more than anyone else."
Tkachuk isn't the fastest skater, and being 18 (19 now) he isn't the biggest and strongest guy on the ice either (usually the weakest physically I would guess), but he seems like he just wants it more than anyone else. If a player takes it away from him, he seems to really hate it and won't quit on the play, but instead keeps going after the player forcing the player to make a play.
His compete level is through the roof.
Then you look at his linemates - I don't think any other players on the Flames have as high of a compete level than Tkachuk, Backlund and Frolik. Night in, night out and even shift in, and shift out, they compete hard throughout their shift, and in every zone.
I think you have hit the nail on the head with what makes Tkachuk suprisingly special. COMPETE LEVEL!
I kind of see Tkachuk similar to a Gary Roberts or Stephan Yelle type of quality player. Just impressed with what he does on that line with Backlund and Frolik. I really don't care about him winning that Calder award since it ain't gonna happen anyway. All I know is that the Flames lucked out in getting him last summer and he's the real deal.
Tkachuk has already topped Yelles best season point wise. if he ends up the same quality of player as Yelle he's a bust.
While Yelle had a great career, two cups and 900 games. "Quality" wise I think we are all expecting a bigger impact player.. not a grinder, who played on a stacked Avs team, and under 300 career points
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Hey, why don't I just go eat some hay, make things out of clay, lay by the bay? I just may! What'd ya say?
