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Ryan Reaves, the enforcer of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is known for his physical and aggressive style of play. He is also known for his outspoken and controversial remarks, such as when he said, “Make hockey violent again” on Monday, after defending his teammate Morgan Rielly as he recently cross checked senators Ridley Greg.
However, Ryan Reaves’ words came back to haunt him on Tuesday, when he was on the receiving end of a hard check by the St. Louis Blues’ Nathan Walker, who is much smaller than him. The hit sent Reaves tumbling to the ice, and prompted fans to react on X.
NHL News tweeted a clip of the incident, with the caption
“That’s 5’9 Nathan Walker knocking down Ryan Reaves, a day after Reaves said “Make hockey violent again”.”
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Many fans took the opportunity to mock Ryan Reaves for his hypocrisy and lack of skill. One fan said
“Reaves is at the point in his career where his mouth does more damage than the rest of his hockey skills.”
Another fan said
“Guy just keeps embarrassing himself.”
One more fan said
“Reavo is the biggest fraud in the league. All bark no bite.”
Leafs won the game in which Ryan Reaves got beaten
Bobby McMann notched his first NHL hat trick, propelling the shorthanded Toronto Maple Leafs to a commanding 4-1 triumph over the St. Louis Blues. Despite missing key players like Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares, the Leafs displayed a constructive effort and depth.
McMann's standout performance, supported by William Nylander's goal and Ilya Samsonov's 14 saves, compensated for the team's absent stars. McMann's journey to this milestone epitomized perseverance, with the 27-year-old winger relishing every opportunity to contribute.
Coach Sheldon Keefe praised the collective effort of his team,
“We needed guys to step up in different ways. We had a lot of great efforts.”
McMann's hat trick, including a crucial empty-net goal, underscored the Leafs' depth potential as they faced key player's absences.
St. Louis, despite entering the game with an impressive 7-1-0 record in their last eight games, struggled to match Toronto's intensity. Brayden Schenn said,
“Just weren’t skating enough and supporting each other enough. We know we have to be a whole lot better.”
Keefe hailed the victory as a fitting end to a challenging day, he said:
“Two huge goals for us and a cool empty netter to finish it off. Terrific end to a strange day for us.”
