Ryan Reaves has brought out the physical edge in his game in the 16 seasons he has played in the NHL. He has hardly shied away from a fight and even at 39 years of age, wasn’t afraid to get into a scramble with Philadelphia Flyers Garret Wilson during the San Jose Sharks’ 4-1 loss on Saturday.
Reaves and Wilson got into a scrap with just 1:48 played in the game. Both veterans approached the center circle, where they traded blows. After Reaves got up, he looked at the left hand with which he held Wilson’s collar. He looked to be in pain as he tried to pull a dislocated finger back in place.
Instead of heading into the penalty box, he went straight to the Sharks bench, where trainer Will Leonard appeared to pop the left pinky finger to its original position. Reaves then spent a few moments in the box but eventually headed to the locker room to get his finger checked.
The fighter that Ryan Reaves is, he took the ice for another 13-second shift later in the period. That turned out to be the last action of his evening. He remained on the bench for the rest of the game.
The Sharks and the Flyers remained level at both intermission breaks. After a scoreless first period, both teams scored once in the second. A power play goal by Christian Dvorak at 1:47 of the third period turned out to be the winning goal. The Flyers scored two more empty netters in the dying stages to seal the win.
Sharks players highlight Ryan Reaves’ role as a clubhouse leader
Ryan Reaves’ experience and leadership have certainly rubbed off on most of the Sharks players. His departure on Saturday made forward Barclay Goodrow visibly emotional as he fought back tears while expressing his appreciation for their enforcer.
“He’s an unbelievable teammate,” Goodrow said during the postgame interviews. “He’s a guy that brings it all, every night. Great friend. He’s the best guy. Even when he’s not playing, he’s there for everyone. He works his butt off every day. I think everyone in the room can learn a lot from a guy like that.”
Defenseman Mario Ferraro, too, had pointed out how Reaves’ staying on the bench made a major impact on the team’s performance.
“He’s one of those guys, he leads on the ice, he leads off the ice, he leads on the bench,” Ferraro said. “I’m kind of getting emotional about it, to be honest. He’s one of those guys that is willing to do whatever for the team, even if that means staying on the bench and he’s not going out there. He’s pumping us up, leading all the time.”
Reaves has just three goals in 50 games this season. He has taken 37 penalties in minutes with 7:48 average ice time but has recorded 160 hits during that time.
Edited by R. Nikhil Parshy