More

    “That’s a stalemate”: Ex-NHL enforcer Kevin Bieksa gives his two cents on Brady Tkachuk, Jordan Staal fight off opening draw

    Gossip
    Runfyers
    0

    Former NHL enforcer Kevin Bieksa shared his thoughts on Brady Tkachuk dropping the gloves with Jordan Staal in Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

    The two captains set the tone for the series just seconds after the opening faceoff, shedding their gloves at center ice and trading heavy blows. Tkachuk landed some early punches, but Staal countered effectively and eventually took him down to the ice before the referees stepped in.

    “We’re not backing down from anyone, and we’re ready to roll,” Staal said after the fight via ESPN.”

    It was a blazing start to the postseason. After the game, analysts broke down the fight, with Bieksa saying:

    “So this is what we’re seeing tonight: two leaders, two captains, and arguably the best players on their respective teams, just going to war. It’s a seven-game series where every little advantage matters.”

    He added:

    “Both leaders are trying to seize that initial edge for their teams. In the end, it was a stalemate. Great job by Staal. Great job by Brady. Both got their teams going and served a real purpose.”

    Brady Tkachuk and Senators blanked by the Hurricanes in Game 1

    On Saturday, the Ottawa Senators suffered a 2-0 shutout defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their Round 1 series at the Lenovo Center. The Hurricanes have the home-ice advantage in the series and lead 1-0.

    After a goalless first period, Logan Stankoven opened the scoring for the hosts, putting them ahead 1-0 at 2:11 of the second period. Taylor Hall scored the winner for Carolina at 7:15 of the third period.

    “I thought we played a really solid game,” Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said via NHL. “There weren’t many chances on both sides of the puck there. Two good bounces for them end up in the back of the net.

    He added:

    “They’re always on top of you. They’re always in the right spots and you can see that they blocked a lot of shots, especially at the end, but all game they’re sacrificing their bodies

    Frederik Andersen was solid between the sticks, making 22 saves in the shutout victory. Brady Tkachuk and the Senators return to action for Game 2 at the Lenovo Center on Monday. The puck drops at 6:30 p.m. ET.