'A LOT OF TRICKS IN HIS BAG'

LAS VEGAS - Let's be honest. Few could ever top the OG, 'Foppa' himself, at the 1994 Winter Olympics.
But Matthew Tkachuk sure gave him a run for his money.
The famous Forsberg move is one of hockey's great signatures. It's used, maybe, a few times a year and requires the silkiest of hands to master.
So, when it's finally pulled out in a big moment like that, and completed with the finesse of a Vegas-inspired, Michelin-star chef?
Oh, baby.

"He's one of those guys where you never really know what to expect," said linemate Elias Lindholm. "He's got a lot of tricks in his bag and that was definitely a new one.
"I haven't seen the Forsberg move in a long time."
Might we see it sometime in the future, now that the cat's out of the bag? An homage to his fellow Swede, perhaps?
"I've seen the video of (Forsberg's) shoulders rolling before the shootout and all that," Lindholm said of the viral YouTube video. "But I've never had the skill to do it myself, so I could never pull it off."
Uh huh. Or, maybe Lindholm is trying to throw the goalies off the scent. Smart, if so.
"Exactly, exactly," he laughed. "I'm doing mind games here!"
None needed. Not with mitts like these.
The original 'Forsberg' happened more than 27 years ago. It was an iconic moment that propelled the Swedes to a 3-2 victory over Canada, securing the country's first Olympic gold medal. The player has to fully commit and show exceptional puck control, moving his body over to one side of the net, while using your dominant hand to drag the puck back on the opposite side, tucking it past the outstretched glove (usually) of the goaltender and inside the far post.
Here, the stage wasn't quite as grand. But any way you slice it, the game was on No. 19's blade, and he had every intention of making his mark.
"I've never done that before," Tkachuk said with a smile. "I thought I'd come in with speed and try something different - try to get him to bite. I had a breakaway earlier on him and he made a great save and slid early, so I thought if I came at him with speed did that, I'd have a good chance to get him. And I did."

Assistant Coach Ryan Huska said afterward that Tkachuk processes the game at such a high level that moves like that come naturally. In this case, he had 65 minutes to build on a 'book' on his opponent, leaving no room for any guesswork.
It's that innate, analytical nature that puts him a cut above the rest in this league.
"Even on Mony's goal," Tkachuk explains, "(John Gibson) was sliding a little bit. On my breakaway, and Mony's breakaway, too, early in the game - he slid and took away the lower part of the net. I tried to spread him out and come at him with more speed than I usually do."
Tkachuk has been the toast of the trip so far, with the forward scoring the game-winner in Thursday's victory over the LA Kings, along with a game-high seven shots on goal.
Then, to add what he did Friday to an already expansion personal highlight reel?
Impressive.
This year alone, he's already scored a beauty, between the legs, on one of the league's top 'tenders. He's delivered a series of no-look, breakaway feeds to stretch things out and feed the Flames' transitional game. He's been a premiere setup man for his linemates off the rush, and continually creates chaos with his one-of-a-kind physical play and cantankerous, net-front presence.
This is the same player that - like Forsberg - has gone viral before, too.
Look no further than Halloween night, 2019, when he scooped up a loose puck in the slot, went between his own legs in mid-stride, and went shelf on Pekka Rinne to win the game late in overtime.
Remember that?
It was one of the finest goals you'll ever see in a Flames uniform. And yet, Tkachuk is continually finding ways to push the envelope even further.
Most importantly this year, he's doing it on a team that sits first in the West and is hungry for more.
"I think he's an all-around type of player," said Johnny Gaudreau, who led off the shootout with a sassy strike of his own. "He has those hands where, in tight, he can make those moves and we've seen him go between the legs a bunch. He's good in our own zone, throws the body around, plays physical. Just a great guy to have on our team and he's been playing well for us.
"It was a pretty crazy goal. He's a smart, skilled player.
"I wasn't shocked he could pull that off."