Keith Tkachuk just opened up on watching his son Brady's Ottawa return alone on his TV, and he had a pointed word about the Panthers.
According to SunHornby, the elder Tkachuk was a concerned viewer that night. He wasn't in the building, and he wasn't sure how the room would treat his kid.
The timing is interesting. Brady scored twice in Saturday's 4-3 loss at Washington, and he has 10 goals and 19 points in 17 games this season. Four of those goals came on the power play.
Florida sits at 9-6-2 and heads to Boston on Sunday, November 8. The Panthers' push into Washington with Matthew Tkachuk ended in another one-goal loss.
SunHornby relayed what Keith said about the whole thing, and it was blunt about the lack of hard feelings:
“Hey, I don't have any animosity. It just happens, it's still your son,” he said. Then he turned to the ice. “I just wished Florida played better.”
Why Keith Tkachuk wants Ottawa to move on
Keith didn't dodge the crowd either. “Fans voiced their opinion,” he said. “But Brady moved on, we've moved on. It's time Ottawa moved on.”
That's a father speaking, and the message lands. Brady is producing for his new team, and the family isn't looking back. Ottawa, meanwhile, is 10-6-1 and hosts Utah tonight, so the Senators have their own business to handle.
I'll say this plainly: a team that wants its star winger to be the story for the right reasons can't keep losing one-goal games. Brady's two goals on Saturday deserved a better result.
SunHornby also shared Tkachuk's view on scoring in today's NHL, and the old-school flavor is hard to miss:
“There's a lot more prettier goals,” he said. “Back then, you had to earn those when there was a lot of prison-type rules.” He brought up defenders like Chris Pronger and Adam Foote, then added that “guys are better skilled today.”
Brady and the Panthers get their next chance at Boston on Sunday, with a loss at Washington still to shake off.
Quick hits
NEW YORK RANGERSPavel Dorofeyev keeps finding the net. Mollie Walker reports he scored in Seattle tonight, his second goal in as many games. Rangers fans will take that kind of timing.
SAN JOSE SHARKSRyan Warsofsky is shaking up the lineup in Dallas. Robert Tiffin reports Filip Bystedt is coming in at 4C tonight. A small change, but coaches rarely tweak the fourth line without a message attached.
LOS ANGELES KINGSAlex Turcotte is officially back. The Kings activated him from injured reserve, and he's set to play tonight against the Penguins. Good news for a Kings group that needs bodies.
OTTAWA SENATORSMore waiting on the injury front. Pro Hockey Rumors reports Linus Ullmark's return has been delayed again. The Senators will have to be patient in goal a little longer.
NEW JERSEY DEVILSJake Allen gets the nod at the Islanders tonight. The Devils confirmed it, and it's not Connor Hellebuyck or David Rittich in the crease. That's a choice worth watching.
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