'FUN TO PLAY AGAINST HIM'

Back then, Matthew had the upper hand.
He was the older, 'wiser' one.
He was heavier, taller and already had the classic, Tkachuk mean streak coursing through his veins.
So, when it came time for the two brothers to face off on the ice, on the driveway, or anywhere in life, Calgary's No. 19 played the role of the button-pusher.

"We were able to compete against each other every single day, no matter what we did," Matthew said of his little bro Brady, who leads the Ottawa Senators in scoring this year. "No matter what sport, no matter what we were doing in life, we were close enough in age where it wasn't completely lopsided.
"Saying that, I took the majority of them when we were younger."
Funny, as Brady remembers it - there wasn't much in the way of mercy when it came to their playful, sibling strife.
"He beat me up every single day and beat me in every competition," he laughed. "I really had to work my hardest to try and stick with him, but as we were growing up, he was just so much better than me - bigger, stronger, faster. I got used to getting my butt kicked. I was trying to do whatever I could to win, but it never really happened.
"With him, he never took the foot off the gas. He was always giving it to me.
"But I think it helped us out in the long run."
Brady is now in his third year with the Sens and has taken his game to a new level, pacing the squad in goals (8) and points (15) in 21 games, to go along with - you guessed it - a team-topping 30 penalty minutes.
Just like Matthew is in Calgary, Brady is the emotional leader in that Ottawa locker-room.
In addition to being the Sens' best player, he's also taken on a leadership role this year in helping and is helping youngster Tim Stützle adapt at the NHL level.

Matthew beams when asked about that aspect of his brother's elite skill-set.
"It makes me very proud," he said. "His competitiveness on the ice, it's very infectious with the way he plays. … We're not necessarily in similar situations, but for the both of us, that third year, we probably took another step.
"I know times have been tough for them this year, but he's done a great job of leading them. We all see the way he plays, the way he carries himself - he's the epitome of a leader in that dressing room. Just an all-around great guy, great player and I'm happy to see the notoriety he's getting this year, because he deserves it.
"Just very proud of what he's done so far.
"We're going to have our hands full tonight with the way he's playing, the way his line is playing. ... In talking to him, his team gets a little more fired up to play us, because they want to win it for him, too. We've got to be ready, because we're going to get their best tonight."
And that, at the heart of it, is what this 'rivalry' is all about.
While there's no doubt these two have had tonight circled on their calendars for some time, it's only the first of four straight, five of the next six, and nine overall against each other this year.
The Flames are trying to steady the ship after a turbulent week, but earned three of a possible four points during a two-game set in Toronto. The Sens, meanwhile, are winners of two straight and have played better all month, but are so far in arrears, the playoff cut line may as well be the summit of Kilimanjaro.
That said, there no bad teams in this division. The Sens are a young group that plays hard, and has a number of key pieces that could make this club a great one soon - and for a long, long time.
The Flames aren't taking them lightly.
"I don't think we played nearly the game we wanted to play yesterday," Matthew said. "With saying that, we had a chance to win with three-and-a-half (minutes) left.
"Yesterday, they took it to us pretty good and we were defending pretty much all game. We've got to support it a bit better and watching (Ottawa's) games, they're playing hard, they're playing fast, they're playing with the puck and playing physical."

So far, in the four games they've played against each other, Matthew and the Flames are 3-1 against Brady and the Sens.
"It's just special for not only Matthew and I, but our parents, my sister, Taryn, and all of our extended family and friends that will be watching," Brady said. "It's huge for them, too, because they've all had an impact on us and have helped us get to where we are now. It's a great moment for everybody and it's going to be a blast.
"They're big games, too. We're not going to take these games lightly - we both want to win - and I know we're both going to take whatever it takes to do that.
"It's fun to play against him, but at the end of the day, we're competitors on the ice. We can be brothers after and before, but when we get on the ice, we want to win."