"If your captain gets taken out like that, you gotta have a way better response. I know how I'd feel if I got hit like that and nobody really jumped in there. I'd be pretty pissed."
"If you go after our best players, we're going after your best players. I feel for him. I know he'd stick up for guys if that was the other way around, and at least get in there."
The Toronto Maple Leafs received significant criticism for their lack of response after Auston Matthews sustained a season-ending injury from a dirty hit delivered by Radko Gudas. Brad Tkachuk, captain of the Ottawa Senators, discussed the incident on his podcast Wingmen, emphasizing the importance of teammates standing up for their captain and best players. Tkachuk noted that if a team's top player is targeted, the team should respond by going after the opposing team's best players. The Maple Leafs have since improved their physical play and defensive support for goaltenders. Without Matthews for the remainder of the season, the team will redistribute responsibilities throughout the lineup and provide opportunities to players who may not have received significant ice time earlier.
#team-response-and-accountability #player-safety-and-dirty-hits #locker-room-culture #auston-matthews-injury
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