58 years. That’s how long Queen City Hockey fans have waited to bring the glory home. Or in this case, the long overdue Stanley Cup. In 1967, the Toronto Maple Leafs appeared for what would be their last championship of the NHL’s “Original Six” era. But that’s not the only reason people remember that year. With the oldest-ever lineup to win the Cup—the team’s average age being 31—the win was a hard-fought battle against all odds, as the team finally pulled off a 4-2 win in a dramatic six-game series. And since then, an effort to replicate the success has only fallen short. However, this year, the sentiment seems to have taken an upturn, which Matthew Tkachuk refuted with a subtle warning. But before we get to that…

For the unversed: With the team employing the most formidable offensive quartet in Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and John Tavares, some elite goaltending from two former backups, Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz, and an overhauled blue line, fans are ready to believe it’s their year. And not to forget Maple debutant coach Craig Berube who NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale called a person who “knows what it takes, what buttons to push on certain players whether they’re younger or veterans”. The team’s maiden Atlantic Division title with a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night was enough proof. But is the battle over? Obviously not.

High off of a 52-26-4 record, topped off by a 13-2-1 stat for its final 16 games (winning eight of those games by two goals or fewer), the team will now face the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference First Round (Game 1 in Toronto on Sunday). And, so far, the Leafs captain seems hyped. Honestly, you’d be too, if your team was Top 10 in the NHL in goals against per game (2.79), Top five in blocked shots (1,357), Top 10 in hits (1,982), with a second-best performance in 5-on-5 save percentage in the NHL (92.6 percent), and a league-best .733 winning percentage in one-goal games.

“I think we’re prepared…You’ve got to push through and put your best foot forward. It’s a new year, new circumstances. A lot of new faces, new coaching staff. I think the competitiveness we have to have, the focus we have to have as a group, and playing together and sticking as a team,” Auston Matthews confidently proclaimed. However, if you ask his formidable upcoming opponent’s older brother, he had some choice words ready… On April 15, Matthew Tkachuk made an appearance on the Up & Adams show when the host asked him what would a faceoff against Brady Tkachuk look like, if it happens in the post-season.

To this, the Florida Panthers veteran responded, which could also be a subtle hint for Matthews: “It was way more fun playing with him than it is against him. So, I’m not necessarily looking forward to going up against him and play. He’s a beast. He will probably the toughest guy in the league to play against in a playoff series. It would not be fun…I’ve seen what he’s been able to do…playing with him in the big stage games, going back to the 4 Nations and it’s a different beast.” Now that’s some big brother energy right there. Matthew explicitly stated that Brady’s presence would be impactful and impressive. To say that it’s going to be the Battle of Ontario would be an understatement. Why? Because the Senators vs. Maple Leafs rivalry has always been fiery. Now, with the former back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017, they’ve indeed got serious momentum, winning five straight regular-season games against the Leafs. Yet, the odds seem stacked in Toronto’s favor! How?

The Maple Leafs have won all four of their previous playoff series against Ottawa. Hence, Toronto has had the upper hand so far. And for Brady? Well, it’s his team this season, and they have snapped a seven-season playoff drought, and with this upcoming clash? It just feels like more than just a rematch. Well, let’s call it a chance of redemption. Should we? And let’s not forget that the legend is returning after getting sidelined for an upper-body injury, and he’s been the heart and soul of the Sens roster. So even if he isn’t able to deliver his best, at least the team will have enough for their morale boost! And he can absolutely be the ferocious one, like

“If we both win, we’ll meet in the second round. I guess we just got to take care of our own business, and make that happen,” the older brother had further said, talking about chasing history together but walking two opposite paths. But is it what everyone has to say for the young star? Well, here are the NHL fans quickly pointing out some of his drawbacks and faults, especially with his lack of playoff experience, keeping the hype a little ahead of reality, for now!

Fan reacts to Matthew Tkachuk’s comments!

Well, for the fans? They came in swinging like a spicy sports commentary! While Matthew, his brother, seemed to be a beast who played tough in almost all of his games, not everyone took it in the same way. Because one fan clearly questioned, “Why assume Brady Tkachuk is a playoff beast with 0 playoff games?” Now that’s a clear concern raised over hyping a player who is yet to step into the postseason spotlight!

And with the Senators vs. Maple Leafs game buzzing up, another fan expressed, “The Toronto Maple Leafs have AT LEAST 5 players that are all better than Brady Tkachuk this season. These vets always say experience matters, but then when it comes to Brady Tkachuk and the Leafs, they throw their entire ideology out the window lmfao. Such a joke,” criticizing the entire narrative put forward for the legend!

Yet another one took a pretty harsh stance on Brady while throwing back a little to the instances of 4 Nations Face Off. They wrote, “You mean the guy who fought 9 secs into the 4 nations got hurt and couldn’t help his team win? That Brady Tkachuk? so fucking overrated. The counter is Matthew Knies. Have you heard of him?” Despite Matthew expressing facts about Brady with a sense of familial pride and confidence, NHL fans perhaps seem to see the hype as premature.

However, with the Senators gearing up for their long-awaited playoff return, it’s the spotlight that’s burning bright, and Brady will prove with his prowess who’s right—fans or brother Matthew Tkachuk!