TheRealHardRockHockey

A Father, True Hockey Fan, Messenger of the Rock Gods, Creator, Artist, Current Medical Experiment. 🇺🇸 🇭🇺 #Letsgobuffalo #CBJ #NHL #skateboarding

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

Really?!? This explains a lot!!! https://t.co/CdejrVxray

[The Original Burnsie @burnsieoriginal]

Tuesday night stretch. 🇺🇸

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

@Fartsuccerburg Typical Canadian fair weather fan these days. The older fans will spare with you, but the younger and softer ones don’t know what you are talking about cause they don’t know what they are talking about and just block. Makes me laugh…

[🅱️jorkswag @bjorkswag]

How everyday I still wish I was watching your career blossom here or anywhere. Live life with a smile Kivi would appreciate that. Long live Kivi #80 ❤️ RIP

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

@UsmanBarak @mic_mazz You do have a point. Habs fans are the worst in all of sports. Unless you are a Habs fan yourself you probably dislike anyone who is one..?

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

@NHLRankKing Words…

[Metalmike @Metalmike3]

Ozzy Osbourne married Sharon Arden, daughter of music business manager Don Arden in Maui, Hawaii, on 4 July 1982. Happy 41st anniversary @OzzyOsbourne & @MrsSOsbourne ! Together, Sharon and Ozzy have three children: Aimee, Kelly and Jack.

[Southpaw @4thlineVoice]

Main Event Monday
Chris Simon vs Chris Neil
#ALLCAPS #GoSensGo

[sebastien chabauty @01HockeyMan01]

Grant Fuhr with mask! Vintage style! Enjoy!

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

@kurri_jari My kinda party! Hahaha!

[Chris McCluskey @mcclusk]

My thoughts on Ryan Reaves.

Allow me to be blunt: Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have been getting absolutely bitched around.

We've seen how they respond to being grabbed by the collar. We've seen how they respond to being jabbed in the face. We've seen them skate away from scrums while their teammates remain in the thick of it.

It seems to be getting worse the older they get, or at least, the deeper they go into the playoffs. Worst of all, it seems to be affecting their game.

Not every team needs a Ryan Reaves, but if there's a team that does, it's the Toronto Maple Leafs.

There are a lot of great teams who don't have this dilemma with their stars. Mark Stone? He'll defend himself. So will Crosby. So will Malkin. So will Bergeron, Marchand, and even Pastrnak. So will Stamkos. So will Point. So will Kucherov. When push comes to shove, so will Hedman. So will MacKinnon. So will Landeskog.

Matthews and Marner will not. Not ever. Not even if there's a fire.

Many will argue they shouldn't have to - that stars shouldn't have to fight, that it takes away from the game. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, it doesn't change the undeniable reality that standing up for yourself is still very important in the NHL. It's a tough game with an element of violence and intimidation is a critical factor. So is comradery. Even if you don't fight, you have to be willing to push back. You have to be willing to stand your ground. You have to be willing to stick up for your teammates. You have to be willing to lock up with a player and take a tumble to the ice every once in a while.

The league is riddled bullies. You can't let them take your lunch money or they'll be back again tomorrow. You can't let them take your brother's, either.

With any luck, Reaves will toughen the roster up a little bit in practice and show the boys how to hold their own if they're ever forced to square out. More importantly, though, adding Reaves reduces the chance that they'll ever be put in such precarious situations in the first place. Reaves is not just a fighter - he wasn't even in the top 10 in fighting majors last season. He's a deterrent.

He's certified rat poison.

Before adding Luke Schenn at the trade deadline, it was unclear who was supposed to answer the bell in the wake of a dirty play. Schenn, by the way, is not a true enforcer. He's just a good, strong lad who has always been willing to stand up for himself and his teammates. With Ryan Reaves on the bench, nobody has to wonder any longer - not the Leafs, and not their opponent. Everybody is acutely aware that every game is being supervised.

I've seen a lot of criticism over signing Reaves to a 3-year deal due to his age (36). Even if Reaves were to fall off completely, I've read his contract allows him to retire without a cap penalty, or alternatively, ~$1.1m of his ~1.3m AAV can be buried by sending him down. The cap risk is incredibly low and this should be quickly put to rest as a talking point.

Many have also pointed out that we had an enforcer in Wayne Simmonds and he barely played. "Why sign a guy like Reaves who won't even play in the playoffs?", I've read.

Well, did you know Ryan Reaves has played 83 playoff games with 4 different teams since 2017? Did you know there are only 18 players who have played in more playoff games during this timeframe - 11 of which played for Tampa Bay? Did you know that no player has more hits in the playoffs during this timeframe? Did you know that outside of his rookie season, Ryan Reaves has played in the playoffs every single year, averaging 9 playoff games a season?

As far as the Simmonds comparisons go, I love Wayne. Anybody bashing Wayne to make an argument for why they prefer Reaves is a fool - Wayne is unique and special in his own right. In his prime, Wayne brought a lot of speed and skill that Reaves never offered, but as an enforcer, there is a significant delta between Reaves and Simmonds - it's about 40 pounds and the fear of God.

You might also be surprised to learn that Ryan Reaves is generally a disciplined player. He doesn't often hurt you by putting your team on the PK. Last season, Reaves had a total of 43 penalty minutes in 73 games - 35 of which were fighting majors. Comparatively, Wayne Simmonds had 49 penalty minutes in 18 games, only 15 of which were for fighting.

There's a lot to like about this signing, but make no mistake - Ryan Reaves is not the answer for the Leafs. He's merely a piece of the puzzle. He addresses one of many needs. He, alone, will not change everything, and at $1.3m a year, we'd be silly to expect him to.

Many of you have been calling for change, though. Undeniably, Ryan Reaves does represent change. Undeniably, he does address a deficit. He does bring a new dynamic to the club. He's a specialist, an all-time great heavyweight enforcer, a legend, and I'd bet the house he'll be a fan favourite before the season opener is over.

I'd bet the house he's a team favourite already.

#LeafsForever

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

https://t.co/6JzoSTrBzq

This is great!!!

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

@NoVa_Caps Going to write this now… live in DC area, support CAPS 💯, family plays at MedStar… but the Caps won’t make the playoffs this season unless they can healthy and stay, sign a couple more grinders, and or get top six players to play like top 6 again…

[The Original Burnsie @burnsieoriginal]

Congrats to the new owner of these three beauties. You’ll enjoy them. 🐐

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

@kurri_jari Love all players listed in the FO circle! Now get Vermette to help out and he’ll win 70% +. Hahaha!

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

@BarDown The beginning of each and every season!!!

[TheRealHardRockHockey @TheRealHardRoc2]

@burnsieoriginal @JimFergusonUK @ontdeplorable21 Cut from the same maxi pad, if I’m not mistaken…

[Jeff Svoboda @JacketsInsider]

I’ve noticed there’s certain words Mike Babcock keeps using since becoming coach of the Blue Jackets. One he keeps saying? Fun.

“I'm at the stage in my life … I'm only doing it if it's going to be fun, and this is going to be a lot of fun.” #CBJ

https://t.co/c8QZwg95jE