Forward Reaves finds comfort level to his liking
Gallant notices efforts coming from fourth line
Ryan Reaves appears to have found his groove in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The rugged forward has been in the Golden Knights’ lineup the past three games and had a solid performance as part of the fourth line in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday.
“I thought we got out of our zone really quick, as opposed to Game 1,” Reaves said of the line’s play during the team’s player availability Tuesday at City National Arena. “I thought we got hemmed in a little bit. A couple chances, but I thought for the most part we really took care of our end and limited their chances. Got some big blocks from a lot of guys.”
Reaves said he felt more comfortable in Game 2, a 3-1 victory that evened the series heading into Game 3 on Wednesday at T-mobile Arena.
“I tried keeping it simple the first game, for sure,” he said. “I didn’t try and do too much. Just kind of getting back to where I left off with (PierreEdouard Bellemare) and (Tomas) Nosek.”
Coach Gerard Gallant said he liked what he has seen from the fourth line.
“I thought they did their job both games,” he said. “They competed, they played hard, they do what I ask them to do every night.
“They had a real good game (Monday). When they’re good, they’re usually forechecking hard and possessing the puck in the offensive zone, and I thought they did a good job (Monday).”
Home cooking?
Reaves grew up in Winnipeg so he
knows the passion of the Jets’ fans. But he’s convinced they are the second-best fans in this series.
“I think we’ve got the best fans in the league,” he said. “They’re loud every game, every second of the