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Blood feud between Doughty, Tkachuk overshadows Jagr’s Flames debut

BREAKING: Drew Doughty and the Los Angeles Kings really, really don’t like Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk.

As great of a story as Jaromir Jagr’s Calgary Flames debut was, the building blood feud between Doughty and Tkachuk (or, really, Los Angeles vs. Tkachuk) provided the greatest fireworks.

You could argue that Tkachuk got the upper hand, although that might come down to how much weight you place on the havoc he helped create. Either way, the Flames were able to snag a dramatic 4-3 overtime win after Sean Monahan scored the clincher.

Tkachuk scored two goals and came close to notching the clincher in regulation after he exited the penalty box, but it was the jawing he did with Doughty in the penalty box that captivated. (Or, in the case of the Kings, enraged.)

It was so entertaining, it’s worth putting up GIFs from multiple angles.

And:

Allow me to suggest a theme song for the occasion.

As a reminder, this disdain goes back to 2016-17, Tkachuk’s bombastic, impressive, and abrasive rookie season.

Back in March, Tkachuk received a two-game suspension for a hit on Doughty. Not long after, Tkachuk seemed to get one over on Doughty as the Kings sought revenge. At the bottom of this post, witness Mike Milbury criticizing the response while Tkachuk threw his body around:

Now, cut to this game.

Tkachuk likely already frustrated the Kings by opening the scoring with a power-play goal, but sending the game to overtime was only part of the late-game carnage. Check the video above this post’s headline for a taste of the bad blood between the two teams.

Again, it’s not just Doughty vs. Tkachuk ... but that growing animosity certainly feels like a catalyst between these two teams.

The bile may only build further if these two franchises continue to vie for positioning - or just a single playoff spot - in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This marks a third straight win for the Flames while the Kings suffered their first loss.

The only bummer is that this is the last time in this calendar year for these two teams to clash; their next game comes in Calgary on Jan. 4.

A quick look at Jagr’s debut

As anticipated, Jaromir Jagr debuted on a line with Sam Bennett and Kris Versteeg.

Jagr was unable to generate a point while finishing with a -1 rating. He received 13:38 of ice time, with 2:23 coming on the power play. He didn’t fire a shot on goal, but that might not be a big deal; Jagr’s greatest strengths may come down to keeping the puck in the attacking zone and dishing to teammates, wherever the Flames ultimately decide to use him.

The best grade for Jagr is probably an “Incomplete” after one game.
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

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