Minnesota Wild Forward Ryan Reaves Requested Stronger Smelling Salts And They, Um, Definitely Worked!

Oh my goodness. This is one of those where at first glance, you don't know whether to laugh or be horrified but you're so predisposed to skew toward cracking up. I mean, Ryan Reaves seemed relatively OK before he inhaled that second set of smelling salts to put a little pep back into his step skates, right?

Don't think it takes a rocket scientist or nuclear physicist or molecular biologist or human anatomist to know that smelling salts are generally not the greatest idea. Lighting your fucking nostrils on fire with some of that sweet, concentrated ammonium carbonate can cause vomiting and diarrhea among other side effects. It's literally akin to breathing in the scent of bleach at point-blank range.

Thumbs down to whomever handed Reaves that defective first set of salts. Pretty clear that he was set up for failure from the jump. Can you imagine if it was a prank? That'd be a pretty cruel one. Then again, he does pretty much ease his way into the follow-up salts — until he hits the clear sweet spot and is doubled over in excruciating pain.

Hockey players are tough as hell. Reaves is the classic enforcer/fighting type, yet he's playing at an extremely high level of late on offense with six points in his last seven games. That included a goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over Chicago. Look at this gorgeous wraparound backhander.

Unclear what Reaves hoped to gain from this foray into smelling salts. Whatever it was, you can see the immediate regret on his face once that shit hits.

Just goes to show how nutso Adam Gase was on the Jets sideline several years back. Dude looked totally unfazed.

I admire the intensity since it wasn't even a regular-season game, but if I were the team owner, that would've been red flags, yellow flags, all flags of grave concern flying all over the place — and grounds for firing Gase on the spot. Never mind that opening press conference.

Anyway, at least Ryan Reaves emerged with only a headache for his troubles. Maybe that was the exact wake-up call he was looking for to stay locked in down the stretch, as Minnesota clings to a one-point lead atop the Central Division over the Stars.

PS, what a GWG by Ryan Hartman!!

Twitter @MattFitz_gerald/TikTok