Ryan Reaves couldn’t stomach that Arber Xhekaj didn’t want to fight during Saturday’s game, and the Toronto Maple Leafs tough guy continued to taunt him.
On Tuesday, the 38-year-old veteran was asked by reporters about this moment in the match when Xhekaj pointed to the scoreboard showing the Montreal Canadiens’ 3-0 lead.
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Shaken earlier by a solid shoulder hit from the defender, Reaves wanted to start the fight.
He also accepted the karma theory according to which this moment somehow led to the Leafs’ seven unanswered goals.
“You want to point at the scoreboard and then get shaken like that… it’s not very flattering,” he said.
-Reaves, who didn’t get a shot on goal or a point in the 6:38 he spent on the ice during this offensive festival, believes that Xhekaj should have accepted his invitation to dance.
Respecting the famous “code” of brawlers, Reaves will think twice before “giving” Xhekaj a fight the next time he asks for one.
“When you’re a young guy and you do that kind of thing to a guy who’s been around a long time, maybe that guy won’t give you [de combat]. Maybe this guy won’t give you one when you need it. Every time there is a fight, it is to seek momentum,” he explained.
Contrary to his usual, Reaves has not fought during the current regular season. He threw down the gloves with Donovan Sebrango in preparatory meetings in September.
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