Leafs' reaction to Ryan Reaves knocking out Tanner Jeannot goes viral

On Wednesday, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Tanner Jeannot squared off in a 3rd period fight. Now, the Leafs' bench reaction has turned into a great viral video.

The Maple Leafs were down 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday in an important divisional matchup and badly needed a spark. Ryan Reaves, who is often a fire-starter for the Leafs, tried to provide that spark when he accepted an invitation to drop the gloves with 16:50 remaining in the game.

Ryan Reaves is still one of the heaviest hitters in the game

Reaves, still one of the most feared enforcers in the National Hockey League, made quick work of Jeannot, dropping him not once, but twice in the fight. If you haven't seen the clip yet, have a look below:

HEAVYWEIGHT TILT between Reaves and Jeannot 😳 pic.twitter.com/wHDYlhupet— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 4, 2024

The Leafs' bench reaction to the Reaves/Jeannot fight was absolutely wild

As entertaining as the 3rd period scrap was, what may have been even more entertaining was the reaction on the Leafs' bench. With nearly every player on their feet, watching intently, Reaves landed a heavy shot that dropped Jeannot for the second time to end the fight. That's when the Leafs' bench erupted with a flurry of "oh" faces, wide eyes, dropped jaws, and stick taps. A very animated Auston Matthews could not contain himself, almost howling at the result, as an energetic Max Domi nearly leapt into his arms like a cartoon character.

The bench's reaction to Reavo's fight the other night. I need a camera on them at all times when this happens thank you so much pic.twitter.com/0vavGzri6Q— x - kenny (@ken___64) April 5, 2024

With the playoffs looming, the excitement level in Toronto is high. Obviously, if the Leafs draw the Florida Panthers in Round 1, it's going to be a tough out. That's a very strong team, who plays extremely physical and has been in the deep waters, playing in the Stanley Cup Final last season. If the Leafs want to have any hopes of beating Florida, they're going to have to match the Panthers' level of intensity all series long. That won't be an easy feat.

The additions of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and the aforementioned Reaves this summer are valuable ones for the Leafs. These moves were never made with the regular season in mind. These were playoff moves. Brad Treliving knows that when the games get tougher in April, May and beyond, you need guys who are going to drag you into the fight each and every night. Bertuzzi, Domi and Reaves are those guys.

Reaves can still make an impact for this Maple Leafs team, even at 37 years of age

For a time this season, it seemed as though Reaves would be nothing more than a part-time player during his time in Toronto. However, in recent weeks, Reaves has really ramped up his level of play and has become a quality 4th liner for the Leafs. What's more is that he gives them something that they don't have elsewhere in the lineup; a feared enforcer. For as much as Domi and Bertuzzi will get in your face, neither player is a true heavyweight. Reaves is much larger in stature and will keep way more guys in line than Domi or Bertuzzi will, even though they'll never shy away from the physical play in their own right.

A player that can incite this type of reaction from his teammates on any given night is a valuable player to have on the roster. For Reaves, he may not have a lot of gas left in the tank at 37, but he's certainly showed this season that he'll give the Leafs everything he has to try to help the team hoist a Stanley Cup over their heads in the coming months.