This is an open-book quiz. All answers must be written in pen. You will have 30 minutes to complete it.
Once your answer sheet has been submitted, the correct answers can be revealed by highlighting the black boxes.
Q1: With 9:30 left in the third period and the Panthers up 3-0 over the Senators, a Sportsnet commentator stated, "These two teams just don't like one another. Every single time they play each other, they seem to have a lot of extracurricular activities going on." How many members of the Tkachuk family are currently on these two teams?
A1: Two. Brady Tkachuk, captain of the Ottawa Senators, and Matthew Tkachuk, alternate captain for the Florida Panthers.
Q2: Matthew Tkachuk, alternate captain for the Florida Panthers, served two hold-over two-minute penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct and roughing to open the third period, before he was released back into the greater wilds of the Canadian Tire Center. Six minutes and 18 seconds later, he once again entered the penalty box to serve a seven-minute penalty for fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct (removing his helmet before fighting Jake Sanderson). If Matthew Tkachuk returned directly to the locker room after serving his penalty, what percentage of the third period did Matthew Tkachuk spend either in the penalty box or in the locker room? Please round to one decimal place.
A2: 68.5 percent.
Q3: 5:13 into the third period, Senators forward Zack MacEwen received a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for a check to the head of Matthew Tkachuk in an act of practiced escalation. The Panthers nullified their man advantage after Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett shortly received two-minute minor penalties. Shortly after Matthew Tkachuk returned to the penalty box for fighting, brother Brady Tkachuk received a two-minute cross-checking penalty. It was at this point that a commentator remarked prophetically, "I think these last nine minutes and 30 seconds are going to be a nightmare for the officials. I don't see this ending anytime soon."
Immediately after leaving the box for his cross-checking penalty, Brady Tkachuk bumped into the goaltender on an even-strength breakaway opportunity and, after the subsequent scrum, received two minutes for goaltender interference, two minutes for roughing, and a 10-minute misconduct. Jonah Gadjovich also received a two-minute roughing penalty and 10-minute misconduct. Additionally, every other skater on the ice received 10-minute misconducts, forcing the referee to invent a new hand gesture that was suitably all-encompassing. (Matthew Tkachuk was not available to receive this 10-minute misconduct because he was still in the penalty box.) Two minutes later, Sam Bennett and Mathieu Joseph also received 10-minute misconducts.
Including Matthew Tkachuk's third-period PIM referenced in Question 2, how many PIM did the Senators and Panthers earn in the third period of the game?
A3: 149 PIM.
Q4: How many times did the Sportsnet broadcast cut over to a member of the Tkachuk family in the stands during the third period? Please explain.
A4: At least five. This number is possibly higher, but you cannot force me to count again. The broadcast showed father Keith Tkachuk once, mother Chantal Tkachuk once, and grandmother Geraldine Tkachuk at least three times.
Q5: After the final Bennett and Joseph misconducts, how many skaters remained in the game for each teams? What percentage of the original skaters remained? Please round to one decimal place.
A5: 11 skaters remained on each team, which was 61.1 percent of the original line-up.
Q6: Across the first and second periods, the Senators received one tripping minor, one interference minor, one delay-of-game minor, and one roughing minor. The Panthers received one high-sticking double minor, one tripping minor, one unsportsmanlike conduct minor, and one roughing minor.
The most PIM in a single game last season was 166, set on April 6, 2023, in a match between the Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators. Including the third period PIM calculated in Question 3, is the total PIM in this game between the Panthers and Senators more than, less than, or equal to the PIM they set on April 6, 2023? Please justify your answer.
A6: More than—this game had 167 PIM, which is greater than 166.
Q7: It is a known factor in hockey that if your team is down by a margin, it's often good to get your team fired up, usually by picking fights or otherwise getting physical. Before the kerfuffle that saw every single skater on the ice receive a 10-minute misconduct, the Senators were down 3-0. With under eight minutes to go, did the subsequent events of the game help get the boys fired up to launch a comeback?
A7: No.
