The Ryan Reaves Effect: Maple Leafs Forward Pumping Up His Teammates During Game 6 Victory Against Bruins, Despite Being Named Late Scratch
Reaves’ was a presence in the Maple Leafs' room despite being a scratch in their series with Boston for the first time in the playoffs.
Despite being named a late scratch ahead of the Game 6 puck drop between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, Maple Leaf fans saw another glimpse of the reason General Manager Brad Treliving brought in Ryan Reaves; for his locker room presence.
As seen in the video obtained from TSN’s Mark Masters, Reaves is seen wearing shorts, a hoodie, and sneakers as he goes through his normal rituals before the beginning of each period. From the video, Reaves is bouncing up and down giving handshakes to forwards Nick Robertson, Mitch Marner, and Noah Gregor – who made his first playoff appearance for the Leafs in Game 6.
When he signed his three-year contract worth $4.05 million back on July 1st, some fans were skeptical while others praised the move as a piece to add more ‘Snot, Piss, and Vinegar’ along with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi. To any contending roster, players like Reaves are crucial to finding fundamental success when adversity strikes; every player has a role.
For Reaves, a player drafted in 2005 and considered as a seasoned veteran in the NHL, has been just that for the Maple Leafs. With a strong locker room presence in 49 regular season games and 5 playoff appearances thus far, Reaves has thrived in his role to keep this team afloat amid pursuit of a 3-1 deficit in their opening-round series against the Boston Bruins.
The Maple Leafs defeated the Bruins 2-1 in Game 6 without Reaves in the lineup to force a Game 7 once again. Though his status to re-enter the lineup for Game 7 is unknown at this point, the confidence, swagger, and motivation behind closed doors are working for a dressing room that builds off of his energy on a nightly basis.
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