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Matthew Tkachuk sends blunt message about Sidney Crosby before Team Canada final
![[Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) shakes hands with Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) after overtime win by Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden.](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/644190.webp "[Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) shakes hands with Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) after overtime win by Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden.")
Photo credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Matthew Tkachuk talked Sidney Crosby, Olympic gold, and “psychological warfare”, and the Penguins captain basically got crowned untouchable.
The Hockey News put the idea to Tkachuk ahead of Sunday’s gold medal game.
Tkachuk didn’t bite. He flat-out said you are not getting in Crosby’s head.
He pointed to the resume, three Stanley Cups and winning at every level.
Then he said the quiet part out loud. This is admiration with an edge.
He also admitted something Canada fans already feel, everybody wants Crosby’s stature and everything he’s accomplished.
Here’s the clip that sparked it.
"Sidney Crosby. He's got three championships. I don't think you're getting in his head. I mean, he's won everything, at every single level.
We want his stature. We want everything that he's accomplished. I guess this team of 25 guys has a chance to accomplish something he has. There is no psychological warfare with him."
- Matthew Tkachuk
We want his stature. We want everything that he's accomplished. I guess this team of 25 guys has a chance to accomplish something he has. There is no psychological warfare with him."
- Matthew Tkachuk
If you’re a Penguins fan, it hits different. This is your guy getting praised by the enemy.
It also lands on a brutal day. Crosby’s status for Sunday remains uncertain after leaving the Feb. 18 quarterfinal with a knee injury, and Canada didn’t commit either way on Saturday.
Sidney Crosby has Team Canada in calm mode
Penguins fans are nervous, but also weirdly proud, because nobody talks like this about just anyone.
That’s the Crosby effect. Even the agitators pivot to respect.
And it matters tactically. If Crosby plays, Canada’s center depth dictates matchups and their puck support looks cleaner in all three zones.
If he can’t go, the room still follows his blueprint, shorter shifts, cleaner exits, no freebies through the middle.
Tkachuk’s quote is the tell. Team USA knows the game won’t be won with chirps.
So Sunday becomes complex for the US. Beat Canada’s structure, beat their pace, and if Crosby dresses, beat a legend who does not blink.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Sidney Crosby injury update shifts Olympic gold spotlight to Sunday showdown
Sidney Crosby injury update shifts Olympic gold spotlight to Sunday showdown
Previously on HockeyUnplugged
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 21|296 ANSWERS Matthew Tkachuk sends blunt message about Sidney Crosby before Team Canada final Should Matthew Tkachuk stop even trying to rattle Sidney Crosby? | ||
| Yes | 253 | 85.5 % |
| No | 43 | 14.5 % |
| List of polls | ||