Matthew Tkachuk's Game Status Officially Revealed for Sweden Matchup, per Frank Seravalli
NHL Insider Frank Seravalli has revealed Matthew Tkachuk's status for Monday's game against Sweden in the final round robin game.
With Team USA winning a rare matchup against Team Canada, it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine for the red, white, and blue. Though they came away with a win, they lost star forward Matthew Tkachuk -- who didn't play the last half of the third period.
Concerns grow about how serious the injury is, and whether or not it will affect his status for not just the rest of the 4 Nations, but for the Florida Panthers when they head back to regular season action.
NHL Insider Frank Seravalli revealed that Tkachuk's injury is serious enough that he won't be participating in the game against Sweden.
Seravalli also noted that coach Mike Sullivan will give a further update later on Sunday.
It's a bit unclear what the exact nature of the injury is, but if Tkachuk is going to miss time -- What can Team USA do to weather the storm?
Team USA In Tough Against Hungry Sweden; Vengeful Canada
Although the American side is sitting comfortable in the 4 Nations, already securing a spot in the finals -- it's going to be a tough ride there nonetheless. Sweden has lost two games in overtime and are going to be as hungry as ever to prove people wrong.
They've been a part of two back and forth games, and with a Tkachuk injury burdening the States -- it's the Swedes chance to take advantage.
Look for William Nylander, Mika Zibanejad, and Erik Karlsson to lead the way for Sweden, as the Tre Kronor try to get themselves into the win column.
As for Canada, if they are able to get past Finland and secure their spot against the US in the finals -- a loss of Tkachuk means a massive loss of their spark and identity.
The Canadians are going to come out with a vengeance and look for retribution for a heartbreaking loss on Saturday. If things were as intense as they were in the round robin -- what is the finals going to look like?
With the extent of the injury unclear, we're just going to have to wait to hear from Sullivan regarding Tkachuk's status for the remainder of the tournament. If he manages to pull through, it makes the US arguably the favorite.
But if he's going to miss the Championship Game -- expect the Canadians to show no mercy.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 16 | 568 ANSWERS Matthew Tkachuk's Game Status Officially Revealed for Sweden Matchup, per Frank Seravalli Do you think Matthew Tkachuk will miss the rest of the 4 Nations? | ||
| Yes | 274 | 48.2 % |
| No | 294 | 51.8 % |
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