The Tkachuk brothers – Brady and Matthew – took an aggressive approach from the start of the US team’s 3-1 victory against Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off at Bell Centre. The brothers fought within seconds of each other, and J.T. Miller joined in just six seconds later.
Their actions were part of a deliberate plan to send a message to their opponents. Matthew Tkachuk explained that they wanted to show they weren’t backing down from a hostile environment. Canada has been successful in best-on-best tournaments, with five of the past six wins and nine overall victories.
The US team’s goal was to make a statement and secure a spot in the championship game at TD Garden in Boston. The brothers said they planned their aggressive start with Miller before the game through a group chat. They acknowledged that playing in such a competitive environment required bravery, but it was also an exciting opportunity for them.
Source: https://www.nhl.com/news/tkachuks-set-tone-in-usa-win-over-canada-in-4-nations-face-off