Bad Blood and Passwords

We’re not even a week into the NHL season, and there’s already some bad blood between a couple of Heavyweights. Wednesday night the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens got their seasons started by facing off against one another. The Leafs won 6-5 powered by an Auston Matthews Hat Trick, and his 300^th career goal. I know I certainly don’t care about the score, or how many goals Matthews gets. I wish these two teams could lose every game they play. Alas, the story isn’t about the score. It’s about the fight between newly acquired Leaf Ryan Reaves, and Goonblog favorite Montreal Canadien Arber “WiFi” Xhekaj.

Things got going for these two heavies about halfway through the first. Reaves was running around hitting everything that moves, as he is wont to do. Reavo had already put the body hard on a couple of Canadien players when the puck worked it’s way into the corner behind the Montreal goalie. Canadien Defenseman Kaiden Guhle gets back to retrieve the puck and Reaves has him absolutely lined up. Again, Reaves does Reaves things and lays a resounding thud on the young Canadien – from behind, mind you – and that’s when Xhekaj had seen just about enough.

Reaves vs. Xhekaj vs. Nets

After Reaves leveled Guhle, he fell straight to the ice. And as he got up, WiFi was there waiting patiently to change his password. Xhekaj threw his gloves off, allowed Reaves to get to his feet and face him, giving Reaves time to get his gloves off too. Reaves, having been in a couple of fights in his day, quickly recognized what was happening and delivered two really hard rights. The combatants then fell to the ice, regathered and engaged again. WiFi then landed three punches of his own and then they collide with the net which the refs should have moved. The net toppled over, as do Reavo and WiFi, and the fight concludes. The internet is divided on a clear winner. I call it a draw, but the fight is below and I’ll leave it up to you to decide.

Here’s where the story gets interesting. Ryan Reaves spoke to the media and said something to the effect of, “If you want to fight just ask me. I’m always around. You know where to find me.” He’s alluding to the fact he feels like he got jumped, and that Arber Xhekaj should have “asked”. I don’t think WiFi jumped him. Sure he got his gloves off first, but also allowed Reaves to get to his feet and get his gloves off too. In fact, he took a couple knuckle sandwiches for his trouble as a result.

Further, I don’t think Reaves really thinks he got jumped either. He’s been doing this a long time. If the roles were reversed, and it was Xhekaj that was running around, it’s his job to stop him from doing so and Reaves would have done the same thing. It’s the old “enough is enough”. You rang the bell. Time to answer the door.

No, I think this is pure gamesmanship on Reaves part. He’s using the media to stir the pot. Unfortunately, these two teams don’t play again until spring and a lot can happen before their next meeting. Injuries, for example, and Reaves could even get traded. So here’s hoping they stay healthy and no one goes anywhere. I have a feeling if he wants a spring fling rematch invitation, Arber Xhekaj is more than willing to give him one.