Team USA and Canada are ramping up their preparations for the marquee matchup at TD Garden on February 20. Neither side can hide their disdain for their opponents, as defenseman Drew Doughty voiced a harsh seven-word menacing comment to Matthew Tkachuk, with a strong reminder to Sidney Crosby and his teammates.
After an all-out battle in their group-stage clash, both teams will come in reenergized, setting the stage for another fireworks-filled showdown. Their round-robin matchup not only lived up to sky-high expectations—it surpassed them. Now, the anticipation for the Final has only intensified.
Both NHL rosters are fully bought into their team’s culture, and that was made clear during their game in which neither side refrained from lowering the shoulder and playing in the corners.
With plenty of history and some unresolved business between the two teams, winning is paramount for Crosby’s squad. There’s no limit to what players are willing to do, and Doughty has made that crystal clear with a powerful message aimed squarely at Team USA’s leader, Tkachuk.
“I’ll do anything for my country,” Doughty firmly stated when asked whether he’d fight Tkachuk during the Final, per NHL on TNT. “If the time is right and I got a go at him, I guess so.”
Deep-rooted animosity
Doughty and Tkachuk’s paths have crossed plenty of times, and each encounter on the ice seems to bring pandemonium to the brink. Their feud dates back to Tkachuk’s days with the Calgary Flames, when they had intense divisional clashes with Doughty’s Los Angeles Kings.
Tkachuk’s playstyle is far from lighthearted—he’s known for getting under the skin of his opponents, and in his early NHL years, he quickly became one of the most chaotic players in the league. Veteran Doughty, not one to tolerate such antics, has found himself tangled up with Tkachuk several times throughout their careers.
However, the stakes have never been higher than they will be on Thursday night at TD Garden, when both Tkachuk and Doughty will leave it all on the ice, fighting to crown themselves with a championship for their home country.
Win now, think later
Team USA wreaked havoc during their 3-1 triumph over Canada, as Tkachuk would later reveal they intended to send a message with their opening faceoff fights.
The repercussions from their group-stage game still linger for the Canadians, as Tkachuk’s Florida Panthers teammate, Sam Bennett, has fired back at Matthew and Team USA.
“I think the messages were sent in that last game. This game, it’s all about winning,” Bennett stated, per Chris Johnston.