It comes as no surprise that Laraque, who finished his NHL career in Montréal, is a die hard fan of the Canadiens. He's a homer for the Habs and there's nothing wrong with that. However, in having said that, Laraque made some puzzling comments following Saturday's Leafs/Habs game that didn't quite line up with reality. Laraque believes that Arber Xhekaj's absence from the Canadiens' lineup is the reason why Ryan Reaves was able to play a good game against the Habs.
This comment made by Laraque certainly garnered the attention of Leafs and Canadiens fans on Twitter. One who decided not to hold back was beloved ex-Leaf Tie Domi, who was a thorn in the side of many during his 1,020 game NHL career. His response to Laraque was perfectly said and I'm sure that even Georges can agree.
Laraque being a former enforcer himself, playing in the NHL for 695 games, can certainly understand Tie Domi and the points he made. They both know the importance of standing up for fellow teammates and trying to shift momentum back to their respective teams. They did just that in a fight against eachother November 22nd, 2000 in the 1st period between the Oilers and Leafs when Tie Domi vs. Georges Laraque became the headline of the night.
Despite Laraque going after Reaves for being "invisible" in their previous matchup against the Habs, we all know he didn't shy away from the spotlight when Ryan Reaves defended himself against Arber Xhekaj during opening night after being jumped by the 234 pounder. It was a brief bout but a relatively even fight between the two tough customers. Ryan Reaves also asked Arber Xhekaj for a rematch, which shows that Reaves would like to show Xhekaj how to fight like a man and not jump another player, forcing a fight to ensue.
The same can be said about Saturday evening's Hockey Night in Canada matchup between the two original six rivals. Reaves stepped up to the plate yet again despite being the aggressor this time. He took exception to Canadiens winger Michael Pezzetta for throwing a late hit on Leafs center David Kämpf, who was slow to get up.
The message was sent by Reaves on Saturday that if you throw a hard, late hit with the intent to injure, a price will be paid. With how Ryan Reaves demolished Michael Pezzetta in the clip above, it's clear that he doesn't mind sending messages like that one.
POLL | ||
AVRIL 8 | 319 ANSWERS Tie Domi claps back at George Laraque over comments about Ryan Reaves Do you agree with Tie Domi's take on the Ryan Reaves/Michael Pezzetta fight from Saturday night? | ||
Yes | 240 | 75.2 % |
No | 16 | 5 % |
Laraque shouldn't need this explained to him | 63 | 19.7 % |
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