Ryan Reaves has done something in Toronto that hasn't happened in over a decade
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, finding the right combination of players to finally break through and find some playoff success has been a real challenge. The jury is still out on whether or not this year will be different, but the aura surrounding the team certainly feels a bit different.
One of the reasons for the change in appearance this year has been the decisions made by new GM Brad Treliving, who felt as though the Leafs needed to alter their identity a bit by adding some more sandpaper, which he was able to find in Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reaves. The latter is coming off of back-to-back fights in his first two appearances as a Leaf. In case you missed them, here they are:
Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun did some digging following the conclusion of the Leafs' 7-4 win over Minnesota on Saturday and discovered that Reavo's two fights in consecutive games hasn't happened in over a decade, dating back to April of 2013.
Honestly, it may not seem like a valuable asset to the team to those outside the locker room, but we have already seen players like Auston Matthews step up and acknowledge how important Reaves has been to the early success of the team.
The Leafs are now 2-0-0 to begin the season and I don't think it's a random coincidence that these wins occurred in games where Reaves logged at least 3 hits and a fight. Obviously, Reaves isn't going to fight 82 times this year, but he is on pace for over 300 hits over an 82-game span. If people don't think this is important, go ahead and ask anyone in that locker room whether or not it's a valuable asset to the team.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 15 | 134 ANSWERS Ryan Reaves has done something in Toronto that hasn't happened in over a decade Will Ryan Reaves play in all 82 games for the Leafs this season? | ||
| Yes | 55 | 41 % |
| No | 79 | 59 % |
| List of polls | ||
