Opinion: Sometimes, Ryan Reaves' Purpose In The NHL Backfires

Ryan Reaves of the Toronto Maple Leafs logged 3:54 of ice time Saturday night before his night ended. That's about four fewer minutes than what he plays per game when he's not being healthy scratched.

Fans should probably get used to not seeing Reaves in the lineup for a while since he'll likely be suspended for his headshot on Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers. It was clear. It was blatant. It was textbook.

It was yet another example of the scheme that NHL enforcers such as Reaves have going. They convince the hockey world that they're needed because they need to protect other players from the kind of mayhem for which they're largely responsible.

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