"Did what we were all thinking": Fans react as Evander Kane punches Matthew Tkachuk in the face

During Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, Evander Kane delivered an uncalled punch to Matthew Tkachuk’s face right in front of a referee. As Kane skated toward the bench, he extended his forearm and struck Tkachuk, causing him to wobble and fall.

Surprisingly, the referee did not penalize Kane for the hit. These two players have a history of rivalry and it appears that they will not reconcile the bad blood between them anytime soon.

Fans were quick to react to the hit on social media. Some fans believed that Matthew Tkachuk had it “coming” for this rough play against the Oilers.

Following are some fan reactions from X/Twitter:

“It’s Tkachuk. He had it coming. Kane just did what we all were thinking.”

“Florida calling this cheap when Tkachuk jumps McDavid. Shuddup,” wrote one user.

“That was just Kane doing Tkachuk things,” commented another fan.

Meanwhile, some fans also condemned the act. They believed that the linesman should have called the hit.

“That linesman CAN call that.”

“@NHLPlayerSafety didn't have their monitors on. 🤔🥴😂🤣😂,” quipped one user.

“Kane is and has always been a bad player. That’s why the Oilers got him,” wrote another fan.

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Kris Knoblauch backs Evander Kane after Game 1

Although Evander Kane has been a crucial player for the Oilers, he has recently found it difficult to score and has had limited practice time due to unspecified physical issues. However, head coach Kris Knoblauch maintains his faith in the player.

When asked about Kane's performance at the Game 1 post-game conference, Knoblauch stressed on Kane’s importance to the team. He said:

“I think Evander's been good for our team. He's been contributing, maybe not showing up on the score sheet as much as he has in the past, but still contributing to our team.”

The head coach mentioned that Evander Kane has been a valuable contributor to the team, even if his contributions aren't always reflected in the score sheet. He insisted that the team would not have reached the Stanley Cup Final without Kane's consistent play throughout the playoffs.

"I don't think we'd be where we are today, we wouldn't be in the Stanley Cup Finals if Evander hadn't been playing throughout the playoffs," Knoblauch said.

In Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Stars, Kane left the ice after a body check on the Stars' Alex Petrovic in the first period. Although he returned, his playing time was limited to just over four minutes. His health issues have since raised concern among fans.

The Oilers suffered a 3-0 loss in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Evander Kane and Co. will now be looking to bounce back on Monday when they play the second game of the best-of-seven series in Sunrise, Florida.