We finally know the real reason why Tkachuk threw a fit after loss to the Maple Leafs last week

It wasn’t an eventful night when the Calgary Flames faced the Toronto Maple Leafs last Tuesday night, until the very end. 

As the Maple Leafs were waiting for the horn to announce their 4-3 victory over the Flames, forward Matthew Tkachuk sent the puck towards Toronto blue liner Jake Muzzin, who decided to flip it back at Tkachuk as the horn sounded.  

That didn’t go well with the Flames’ forward who was livid and flipped out on the ice, going after Muzzin trying to hit him and then threw a fit on his way out the tunnel, looking like an idiot in the process. 

However, it sounds like Tkachuk was more upset with his teammates than he was at Muzzin’s bush league move. Here is how Elliotte Friedman explains it in his latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportsnet: 

“When Matthew Tkachuk exploded at the end of last Tuesday’s loss to Toronto, it wasn’t about Jake Muzzin flipping the puck at him. If you dish it out, you’ve got to take it. I think he was upset that no one joined him in the scrum.

Calgary held a players-only meeting last Friday, and it sounds like he conveyed that message. It was received, although some comments were made to him that it can’t be a riot every night. Get your feelings in the open, get it sorted out, and play. The results speak for themselves.”

After that aforementioned player only meeting, the Flames went on to blank the Montreal Canadiens. It felt like it has allowed the team to gain confidence, to forgive and forget and move on. 

Which is great news for the team and their fans in a shortened season.