Big Walt Ain't Throwing His Favorite Hat For No Stinkin' Hat Trick. Even If It Was His Son Matthew's First Career Playoff Hatty
As has been the case throughout the entire playoffs so far, the Tkachuks were in the house for game 1 between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers last night. Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Battle of Alberta. It doesn't get much better than this, unless you can bring your whole family along. This is why hockey is the best. You think Aaron Rodgers' family is traveling around to all of his playoff games? Not a chance. But it doesn't matter if you're playing your first year Mites or 5th season in the NHL, a hockey family still loads up in the car and heads to every game.
Things got a little dicey for the Flames after they blew a 6-2 lead, but luckily for them they had Matthew Tkachuk and the Oilers do not. So when The Rat King delivered the final dagger to make it a 9-6 game, hats came raining down from the C of Red. The first playoff hat trick in the career of Matthew Tkachuk, and he gets it done with his old man in the barn. You think Big Walt is launching his hat on the ice to celebrate the moment?
Think again, cowboy. That's his favorite hat! Anybody who is a hat guy knows that you can't get rid of your favorite hat. You cherish that hat and you protect it with your life. It looks great on you, it feels great on you, it makes you who you are during the stretch of your life that it's #1 in the rotation. Getting rid of your favorite hat would be like getting rid of a part of you. And Big Walt ain't gonna let go of that hat for no empty netter hat trick. Maybe if Matthew sniped top titty in overtime of game 7, he'd let it fly. But not on an empty cage.
By the way, I love Keith Tkachuk showing up to a Calgary Flames playoff game to watch his son Matthew with his other NHL son Brady in the crowd with him, and he's wearing a Virginia quarterzip for Taryn. That's a grade A dad move right there to make sure the boys know exactly where they fall on the favorite child list.
Also the whole Tkachuk clan put on a show last night. You had Brady making the veteran play of grabbing a few extra beers to last him through the period.
And aside from the hat trick, Matthew Tkachuk was putting Evander Kane in the mental blender all night.
I'm sure this won't escalate any further over the course of the next 6 games.