Brady Tkachuk called into question his suitability to captain the Ottawa Senators with his third-period antics in his team’s appalling loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 12. His behaviour, particularly after the opportunity he blew to score on a penalty shot against Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov laid bare a degree of selfishness and immaturity that defies every expectation Ottawa fans have for the captain of their team.
It is time for Tkachuk to grow up and demonstrate that he possesses the character and qualities that befit anyone bearing the letter C on their sweater. This cannot come too soon, given the dire straits in which his teammates find themselves.
Tkachuk’s Lack of Discipline Hurt Senators
As most Senators fans saw on Dec. 12, the Ottawa captain believed Kochetkov had deliberately tripped him on his approach to the net on the penalty shot. Whether that was the Carolina netminder’s intent or not, and whether or not it was a trip or a legitimate poke check, is not what I will debate in this article. In the video below, readers can judge for themselves whether Tkachuk was right to be angry.
Yet what is up for debate is Tkachuk’s reaction. After ending up on his keester in the corner after failing to score, Tkachuk came toward the Cane’s netminder in a fit of rage. Had the referees not intervened, there would have been an exchange of knuckle sandwiches between them.
I understand that he was humiliated after being stripped of the puck in what he probably believed was a foul on Kochetkov’s part. Even so, it didn’t justify diverting his team’s focus on the task at hand, which at that late point in the game was to make the game close and regain at least a shred of their pride and some respect from their long-suffering fans. But that wasn’t what Tkachuk cared about. His focus was on mollifying his anger and embarrassment after he was rudely denied a goal.
Tkachuk Needs to Pick His Battles as Senators Captain
Tkachuk’s bad behaviour is often attributed to his unbridled passion and fiery determination to win at all costs. Perhaps, it’s still behaviour unbecoming of a leader, and it can often hurt his team. His fans and his teammates saw that first-hand in the game against the Canes.
Raging at Kochetkov for robbing him of his goal apparently wasn’t enough of a soother for Tkachuk. His next move was to skate back and forth in front of the Hurricanes’ bench to hurl invective at his opponents.
Presumably, he wanted to demonstrate to his teammates what a courageous warrior he was by taking on the entire Carolina team. Still, all he accomplished was to amuse his visitors after they had completely dominated him and his team. His teammates didn’t appear terribly interested in following him into this pointless battle.
For reasons only known to Senators head coach D.J. Smith, Tkachuk was sent out again in the dying minutes of the game. Seeing he was still incensed and looking for trouble, the referees sent him packing with a 10-minute misconduct thus saving Tkachuk from himself and the remaining fans in the stands from more stupidity.
Related: Senators Firing D.J. Smith Won’t Solve Team’s Problems
Tkachuk is loved in Ottawa, and there is no denying that he is a major force and talent with the Senators. It’s the reason why his coaches and trainers hold their breath every time he drops his gloves to fight. Teams simply can’t afford to have players like Tkachuk fighting, yet he gives into his temper tantrums and does it anyway – even if it means risking injury and his team’s success.
Senators Captain Made Needless Retaliatory Hits
Against Carolina, Tkachuk began throwing himself pointlessly against opposing players mid-way through the third period. Perhaps believing the game was lost, Tkachuk laid useless hits on Brent Burns, Brady Skjei, Sebastian Aho and Stefan Noesen. On each, he was simply finishing checks and in none did he gain possession of the puck, prevent a pass, or cause a turnover. In fact, all he accomplished was to take himself out of the play.
The irony is that when he began making these pointless hits, the game wasn’t out of reach. A true captain would have focused on helping his team climb back into the game rather than indulging his desire for revenge.
Tkachuk Needs To Live Up to Senators’ Expectations of Captain
The Senators need their captain to lead the fight to the end, even when they are down by a three-goal margin as they were against Carolina on Dec. 12. Captains don’t get themselves thrown out of games when there is still time on the clock to battle for a win.
