Ryan Reaves gets humiliated for what he did in last night’s loss!

The Toronto Maple Leafs were booed on home ice for second straight night after the 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, but I feel like some of the boos were directed at veteran forward Ryan Reaves.

In the third period of the game in Toronto, with Dallas in the lead, Stars captain Jamie Benn got a little rough with Maple Leafs’ superstar Auston Matthews.

As noted by Joseph Zita of The Leafs Nation, Benn cross-checked Matthews “well after the whistle - because he’s that type of player and always targets Matthews.” As Zita predicted by taking a shot at Reaves:

“and I can’t wait for Ryan Reaves to sit on his hands and play music in the room after the game. Go do something.”

(the tweet has since been deleted by Zita, who might have feared to become Reaves' first victim of the season... ) 

The shot at Reaves came hours after the veteran forward spoke about the reasons why he has yet to fight this season. Prior to the game against Dallas, Reaves told media members why he is still looking for a bout this season.

“Yeah, it’s the longest I’ve gone without one. I would like one, for sure,” Reaves said to Sportsnet.

“I mean, that’s what I’m here for. Or part of the reason I’m here. To not have one this late in season is new for me. So, I would definitely like one or two soon.”

When the Maple Leafs signed Reaves to a surprising three-year deal in 2023, with a cap hit of $1,350,000 per season, it was expected that he knew his role and would a great addition to the fourth line. He hasn’t proven his worth and honestly, Toronto could use his cap more effectively. Especially if he won’t fight when his teammates and fans expect him to.

Reaves has been a healthy scratch several times this season, though he has been part of the lineup for the past few games. In 28 games however, he has put up just two assists and a -1 rating, but most surprisingly just two penalty minutes.

Zita’s comments might be harsh, but sound awfully true at this point.