Trent Frederic Exposes How Matthew Tkachuk Asked to Fight, Then Backed Down to Bait Him Into a Penalty

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Daniel Lucente
October 9, 2024 (9:09)

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Trent Frederic of the Bruins claims Panthers Matthew Tkachuk wanted to fight, and when he dropped the gloves, Tkachuk backed out and baited him in a penalty.

Well, the Boston Bruins-Florida Panthers rivalry is pretty alive and kicking right now. Fueled by consecutive playoff eliminations, Florida has been a thorn in Boston's side, knocking them out of Stanley Cup contention two seasons in a row, and the bad blood between the two teams was on full display in their season opener in Sunrise, Fla.

Bruin forward Trent Frederic was out for vengeance, most specifically against Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk, considered one of the players who gets in opponents' heads easily, coupled with the fact that he was responsible for the heartbreaks in the playoffs of Boston, made him the target. Frederic, who remembered their tussles, was ready to resume the feud.

Early in the game, Frederic attempted to even things up and challenged Tkachuk to a fight. Tkachuk is calculated in his reasoning for physical plays and decided not to engage. Meanwhile, Frederic's over-eagerness drew him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, putting the Bruins team at a disadvantage. You can see the sequence below.

Trent Frederic versus Matthew Tkachuk

It was a frustration that only mounted throughout the course of the night for the Bruins. Though they were able to kill off the Panthers' power play without too much harm, the consistent trips to the box disrupted any sort of flow Boston seemed to find. Afterwards, Frederic voiced his frustration in saying Tkachuk had initially agreed to the fight before backing out, another turn in their series of tangles.

As the Bruins head into their rematch with the Florida Panthers at TD Garden in less than one week, they are going to have to recollect their thoughts and refocus. With emotions high, Boston is going to have to keep their cool heads if they are to gain the upper hand in what will be another intense battle.