Matthew Tkachuk has been an absolute thorn in Connor McDavid’s side. For the third time in less than three years, Tkachuk and his team prevailed over McDavid and his when it mattered most.
Of course, in the 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Finals, Tkachuk and the Panthers defeated McDavid and the Oilers in a wild, back-and-forth seven-game series for the ages. Follow that up with another meeting in the 2024-2025 finals, again heading to Florida, and now Tkachuk and the Americans are hanging on for dear life before defeating McDavid and the Canadians in overtime of the gold medal match at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Pure elation on one side and heartbreak on the other – perfectly encapsulated in a post-match photo showing a distraught McDavid watching as Tkachuk celebrated, holding the American flag.
Canadian hockey fans – and Oilers fans in particular – will be tired of seeing the same script play out in the biggest games.
Winning the 4 Nations Face-Off was nice, but everyone knows the Olympics and the Stanley Cup mean more, and no matter how well McDavid and his teammates have played, they continue to fall agonizingly short.
The eye test and the numbers suggest that these results should not end this way. McDavid dominates every game, earning Conn Smythe trophies and Olympic tournament MVP honors through losing efforts, while Tkachuk, while highly effective at his own game, has only been one piece of the puzzle for his championship teams.
Most viewers probably didn’t notice either Tkachuk brother in the Gold Medal game — aside from a few egregious turnovers by Brady — while McDavid looked dangerous every time he stepped on the ice. Despite all that, the same man still finished on top, leaving everyone wondering: At what point will McDavid finally slay the dragon and win the big one?
The 2025-2026 season has been an up-and-down season in Edmonton, though the Oilers still appear poised to make it into the playoffs. With an already extremely motivated McDavid – now with an even more bitter taste in his mouth – that moment may come this spring. To make it even sweeter, it could come down to Tkachuk and the Panthers – who have only a 15.4% chance of making the postseason – watch from home.
But for now, Tkachuk once again got the last laugh, with McDavid forced to watch him bask in the feeling of victory.
Next: Quinn Hughes hits out at critics of Jack Hughes after Golden Goal
Discover more from NHL Trade Talk
Subscribe to receive the latest posts by email.
#TkachukMcDavid #photo #captures #years #elation #heartbreak