Ryan Reaves Demonstrates Exactly Why You Shouldn't Fight A Guy After Every Clean Big Hit In Hockey
Ryan Reaves went on a demolition tour last night against Detroit. First up he committed manslaughter as he ran over Filip Hronek coming out of the zone like an 18-wheeler.
Just a massive, yet clean, open ice hit by Reaves which sent Hronek as close to going through the ice as possible. Fortunately the linesmen stepped in afterwards to make sure that Jake Walman didn't end up making the 2nd biggest mistake of that play and try to fight Reaves after. The Red Wings already had one player down on the ice, they didn't need to send another trainer out there for a 2nd.
But Reavo's night wasn't done there. Later in the 2nd period he landed another big hit. This time in the corner against the young 6'2", 186 lb Gustav Lindstrom. This wasn't nearly as violent and Lindstrom popped right up. But it's just what we in the biz refer to as a Weight Room Issue.
Listed at the same height, but Reaves has 40 lbs on the young fella. What did you expect to happen in that situation when those two guys go up against each other in the corner? Again, that's just a weight room issue. Tell Gus Lindstrom to start housing some milkshakes before he goes to bed every night and maybe next time he'll have better luck against Reaves in the corner.
But Ben Chiarot didn't see it that way. He figured Reaves already landed two big hits against his teammates on the night, and now it was time for Reavo to answer the bell. The only issue is…well…
This just isn't a position you ever want to find yourself in.
Don't get me wrong. I respect Ben Chiarot for what he was trying to do here. He's a captain on this team. A little older, a little bigger. He wanted to step in here and stick up for his teammates, which I admire. I get trying to get the point across that Ryan Reaves can't go around murdering people on the ice without consequence. But if the consequence is that Ryan Reaves then gets to beat your ass in a fight AND you end up getting an additional 2-minute minor as the instigator? Well I just think that message could have been sent a better way.
It just seems like every big hit in the NHL these days, regardless of if it's clean or not, ends up with a fight afterwards. It seems a little shortsighted to me. The best way to get back at Reaves for that hit is to take your time and find the opportunity to drop him later in the game when he's not expecting it. Drop him later in the game with a big hit of your own that won't result in putting the Wild on the powerplay. The man already felt unstoppable out there on the ice and then you voluntarily add an overwhelmingly convincing won fight to his night? Again, maybe every big hit doesn't require an immediate fight afterwards. Be more strategic and tactical about your retribution, boys. That's all I ask.