Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Ryan Reaves (6-foot-2, 225 lbs) and Mathieu Olivier (6-foot-1, 226 lbs) traded haymakers in the opening two minutes of Wednesday’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The fight started a little sloppy, especially Reaves. This was the enforcer’s first fight of the season, and it’s the longest he’s gone in a season without a dance.
Olivier began throwing rapid right-handed punches, and Reaves lost his footing. However, Toronto’s right winger got back on his feet and contributed to what could be argued as one of the fights of the year.
After the two dropped their gloves, it took the referees over 40 seconds before they intervened.
While this was Reaves’ first fight of the campaign, Olivier reached double digits with this tilt. It was his 10th fight of the season and his second of the month.
His last fight was against Tyler Tucker of the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 4. The Blue Jackets went on to win that game 6-4, and Olivier scored an empty-net goal in that contest.
Columbus’ enforcer has 10 goals and seven helpers for 17 points in 47 games this season.
The 27-year-old leads the Blue Jackets in penalty minutes with 88. Heading into the game, Olivier was fourth in the NHL in penalty minutes, sitting behind Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins teammates Nikita Zadorov and Mark Kastelic.
In 30 games this season for Reaves, he’s provided two assists for the Maple Leafs and has recorded 28 penalty minutes. Among active skaters in the NHL, the 38-year-old has the sixth-most penalty minutes with 1,100.
On Tuesday, Reaves commented on not fighting anyone yet this regular season.
“There’s just not a lot of takers out there,” he told reporters. “And when we play those teams, just they haven’t been in the lineup. And then in the last game, I thought for sure it was going to happen. And I guess not.”
Reaves referred to Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens when he tried to fight defenseman Arber Xhekaj with the Leafs trailing 3-0. Xhekaj declined the fight and pointed to the scoreboard. The Leafs scored seven unanswered goals to win 7-3.
“Anytime there’s a fight now, somebody needs some momentum, and if he needed momentum and asked me and I give it to him, then, I expect it back,” Reaves said. “And I would have obliged if he would have done it there. But, you want to point at the scoreboard and then get rattled off for seven, then it’s a tough look.”
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Related: Rempe And Xhekaj Feature In Heavy-Weight Tilt During Rangers Vs. Canadiens
Related: If The Maple Leafs’ Ryan Reaves Hasn’t Fought This Season, Should He Go To The AHL?
