Tkachuk praises Balinskis' power after one-punch knockout
After the Panthers' loss to the San Jose Sharks, Uvis Balinskis' one-punch knockout became the most talked-about moment. Matthew Tkachuk said the Latvian's right hand was heavy and that he tries to avoid it in practice.
In the game played on October 2, the Panthers lost 4-3 in overtime on the road to the San Jose Sharks. Despite the result, one of the most striking and most discussed moments of the game was Latvian defenseman Uvis Balinskis knocking out an opponent with a single punch.
What happened on the ice
In one sequence, Balinskis delivered a check on Sharks debutant Ivar Stenberg. Immediately afterwards, Colin Graf rushed in to defend his young teammate, but he quickly regretted it, as Balinskis put the opponent down with one punch. The clip spread quickly on social media, where it was described as a powerful moment.
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After the game, Brady stressed that one more thing deserved mention: the right hand of Balsy, as Balinskis is called. Matthew Tkachuk said he liked it a lot and that, in his view, Latvians have power. He explained that Balinskis threw a check that led to another player getting involved. Tkachuk added that in such a situation he would also expect a fight, and he believes Balinskis expected it too and landed one very good punch. It was a heavy right hand.
Tkachuk also revealed that in practice the next day he tried not to go at Balinskis too hard, because he did not want to take that right hand. As a result, the overtime loss faded into the background, while the Latvian's punch became the most memorable moment of the match.
