Ryan Reaves silences Matthew Tkachuk with simple gesture

The Toronto Maple Leafs were ready to make a statement in their potential playoff matchup against the Florida Panthers, and Ryan Reaves was in the spotlight for his gesture towards Matthew Tkachuk.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping that they will be able to look like a different team this season, with more of a focus on toughness and grit come the post-season. They have done a decent job of this during the season, however, we all know that the playoffs get ramped up to another level.

If last night were any indication of what the playoffs might look like, then there is hope for Leaf fans that they won't be pushed around this year. This was especially evident when Ryan Reaves quickly put a stop to some of Matthew Tkachuk's antics when he was on the ice, making a gesture to shut him down quickly.





The Leafs seem to have a different attitude all over the ice this season. The enforcer part is one thing, but they have had this in the past with Wayne Simmonds or Kyle Clifford. The other side of the coin is not being bullied when those guys aren't on the ice. In this year's case, the Leafs have guys like Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jake McCabe, and Simon Benoit who aren't afraid to jump into things when necessary. Even Matthew Knies showed last night he wouldn't be pushed around this season.

The ultimate question becomes how valuable this truly is during playoffs, or is a pure skill better to have on the ice, which the Leafs have arguably downgraded on. The true test will come in a few weeks when the post-season arrives.

As seen on Hockey Patrol - Ryan Reaves trolls Matthew Tkachuk with an epic gesture