Ryan Reaves in uniform: Craig Berube wants to be ready for « the physical players of the Canadiens »

This evening, at the Bell Centre, we will witness a big match between the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs. We know that the two teams, who don’t have much love for each other, are doing quite well these days… so we can expect a big game.

And above all, a game that sparks the interest of the fans.

So it will be a heavyweight duel if we consider the recent successes of both teams… but it could quickly turn into a heavyweight bout in the other sense of the term.

The reason? Ryan Reaves will be in uniform tonight… and Craig Berube made this decision to « be ready to face the physical players of the Canadiens ».

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({« cmd »: « addBanner »});

Of course, when we think of Reaves and the Canadiens, we also think of Arber Xhekaj. After all, we’re talking about two heavyweights in the league… and especially, two guys who have a history.

Last season, the two dropped the gloves in the first game of the season.

That said, things have changed quite a bit since then. Xhekaj fights much less frequently, and more importantly, he is capable of helping the Habs in other ways, doing excellent work alongside David Savard.

Meanwhile, Reaves is having a… peculiar season. In fact, in 28 games this season, the tough guy from the Maple Leafs has as many fights as goals… and he is still searching for his first goal this season.

However, Reaves hasn’t turned into a nice guy: he admitted this week that he can’t wait to throw the gloves because « it’s been a long time ».

(OBOXADSQ || []).push({« cmd »: « addBanner »});

So one can expect to see him antagonize Xhekaj tonight… but the Habs defender must not fall into the trap. He is much more important for the Habs than Reaves is for the Leafs, after all.

If Michael Pezzetta is still in uniform tonight (there haven’t been any recalls from Laval so far, so we should expect to see him play), I wonder if he will be the one to « take care of » Reaves. If he’s going to spend almost the entire game on the bench, he might as well go spend a few of those minutes in the penalty box.

But clearly, we should expect things to get rough tonight. The Leafs seem to respect the physical players of the Habs, and if Reaves is in uniform (he hasn’t been a regular in the lineup for a month), it’s because they want to send a message.

Hopefully, we won’t go overboard. Imagine if Reaves were to go for a cheap shot against Lane Hutson…

In brief

— This will be one to watch.

— Wow!

— The Atlantic is extremely competitive.

— Too bad.

— Larry Brooks is not ready to blame (only) Chris Drury for the Rangers’ struggles.