TSN declares Matthew Tkachuk as the Flames ‘heartbeat’
By Ryan Pike
4 years agoEvery successful National Hockey League club has a player that is the team’s heart and soul – the player who drives the team’s competitive spirit and pushes them to new levels. Over at TSN, our pal Frank Seravalli attempted to identify the “heartbeat” player for each Canadian club.
For the Flames? He declared Matthew Tkachuk as their heartbeat.
Here’s Seravalli’s justification for his pick:
Tkachuk is the poster boy for “heartbeat player.” He is the fuel for the Flames, the straw that stirs the drink in Calgary. We’re not just talking about his jaw-dropping OT winner from last week that is among the best goals of all-time, or how no other Flames player in franchise history has scored as many points as Tkachuk has (192) before turning 22. No, it’s a comeback like Tuesday night against Arizona that puts him on the poster. He did the dirty work, throwing the body behind the net before funneling the puck up the boards and getting in front for the re-direction with 3:30 left that jumpstarted it all. Whatever Tkachuk lacks in high-end skill compared to or some of the other top-end players in the NHL, he makes up for in heart, and that might even be more valuable.
Before we get into the meat of this thing, let’s look at that goal again. Go get some popcorn, we’ll wait.
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Let’s be blunt here: Tkachuk’s the only player on the Flames roster with the sheer gall to even try a move that ridiculous. It fits in nicely with his utter pain in the backside persona that has cemented him as the NHL’s most notorious pest – a player that everybody hates playing against but wishes they had on their team. He’s been an alternate captain since last season and is frequently mentioned when pundits discuss the team’s next captain when Mark Giordano retires in 10 years.
That chip on his shoulder has led him to become one of the NHL’s most underrated two-way players, a consistent offensive contributor (particularly with clutch goals), and one of the top penalty-drawing players in the circuit. (He currently leads the Flames in average game score, too, a sign that he’s been their most consistent top contributors.)
If not Tkachuk, who else could be considered the team’s on-ice emotional leader. The only other potential candidates are Giordano or David Rittich. All due respect to those two gentlemen, but Tkachuk has shown the ability to break open games in all situations with regularity (something tougher to do on the blueline or in goal).
What’s your take on Seravalli’s pick? Do you agree? Disagree? Sound off in the comments!
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