2018 NHL Playoffs: Ryan Reaves took a cheap shot at Tom Wilson in Game 2 of Stanley Cup Final
Ryan Reaves got his shot at Tom Wilson in Game 2, and he took it. That shot was a cheap one, and he was penalized for it.
During the second period of Wednesday's Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, the two tough guys came face-to-face after a whistle. They appeared headed for a confrontation, but Reaves quickly dropped Wilson with a jab straight to the chin. Reaves earned himself a well-deserved two-minute minor for roughing.
There was some discussion prior to Game 2 about whether Reaves and Wilson would fight, which seemed like a good possibility considering what unfolded during and after Game 1.
Wilson delivered a late and brutal hit on Jonathan Marchessault during that first game. It was a hit that a number of Golden Knights players, Reaves included, took exception to.
Ryan Reaves on the Wilson hit on Marchessault: "it was a late, blindside hit like Wilson always does." — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 29, 2018
When it was announced that Wilson wouldn't be suspended for the hit, chatter immediately turned to the possibility of Vegas seeking out their own form of justice for the dirty hit. Reaves is one of their toughest players on the roster, so his postgame quote regarding Wilson suggested he'd probably be the guy to seek it out.
But Reaves wasn't without incident during Game 1 himself. The Capitals didn't care for his blatant crosscheck to the back of John Carlson during the third period of that game, especially considering it led to a game-tying goal for Reaves a split-second later.
Despite the animosity, Reaves and Wilson avoided dropping the gloves through two periods of Game 2. Instead, the only punch was thrown with a glove on.