One month removed from an emotional game, the chirping continued between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.
One month removed from an emotional game, the chirping continued between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.
There's no question that Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is one of the best when it comes to mind games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs certainly felt the effects of it in their previous meeting on Nov. 2 when Marchand tripped Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren in the corner boards, the result of which saw the defenseman suffer a high-ankle sprain that has kept him out of Toronto's lineup since.
After this play, Marchand and Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe exchanged words on the bench during a break in play.
Reaves was one of several players who didn't respond to Marchand's antics with any physical retort, leading to a team meeting following the game. Toronto's enforcer will be back in the lineup and talked about how he can impact Marchand's play.
"He’s not going to fight you, that’s for sure," Reaves said of Marchand ahead of their rematch at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. You’ve just got to play him hard. You can try to bait him into whatever but you got to make sure that you're doing it smartly. You can’t take penalties. He’s not a guy that’s going to drop his gloves. He’ll try and bait you in and make you take something stupid. Their power play is dangerous and that’s where he thrives. You’ve got to play smart and just play hard."
Marchand is one of the NHL's best chirpers, among the ones he uses on Reaves?
"He likes telling me he makes a lot more than I do," Reaves said. That doesn’t really bother me. A lot of players make a lot more than I do. So it’s not really a good one."
Reaves earns $1.35 million per season after signing a three-year, $4.05 million deal to join the Maple Leafs this past summer. Marchand, who earns an average $6.125 million per season, responded by saying that he hasn't used the money chirp in a "long time."
"Sounds like he’s holding onto it," Marchand said. "He’s just one of those guys that brings personality to their group."
Since the incident on Nov. 2, the Maple Leafs have stepped up their physical game. On Nov. 11, Toronto players Mark Giordano and Max Domi initiated fights while stepping up for their teammates after big hits against the Vancouver Canucks. Although both took instigator penalties, Toronto went on to win the game 5-2 in arguably their most convincing victory of the season.
"The bigger challenge is us against ourselves," Domi insisted when asked about the Bruins. "That’s the focus for us is continuing to build our game."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gZJOktElXk[/embed]
The Leafs finished with a 7-3-2 record in November and feel that the incident was taken out of proportion due to Toronto being a hot market that can be scrutinized.
"I think that particular incident probably got more attention than it deserved, quite frankly," Keefe said. "Over the years I think we’ve addressed those situations fine, at times maybe not.
"I know everybody in here watches just our team for the most part. But turn on your TV and there are a lot of teams in the league that don’t blow up and sell the farm every single time somebody gets hit. You’ve got to play hockey, too."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smuZiGCs8us[/embed]
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