Matthew Tkachuk trolled by Ryan Reaves in Maple Leafs-Panthers game

Ryan Reaves of the Toronto Maple Leafs was being his old, antagonizing self while taking on the Florida Panthers. His main target seemed to be Matt Tkachuk.

Last night's game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers was a bit of a roller coaster ride for both sides. With the Maple Leafs looking to go into the playoffs with on a high note, beating the team that eliminated them in the second round last season would be a big boost. That happened, but it was anything but smooth.

Despite Auston Matthews setting a new team record with his 61st goal of the season, and the Maple Leafs taking a 5-1 lead into the third period, the Florida Panthers almost completed a huge comeback, with a final score of 6-4 Toronto. Toronto had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win against the Florida Panthers, but that was stopped by the Detroit Red Wings beating the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the meantime, tension started to mount between the Leafs and Panthers, leading to this exchange between Ryan Reaves and Matthew Tkachuk, where Reaves trolled the Panthers' star player.





Following the game, Ryan Reaves told Sean McKenzie of Sportsnet that the Toronto Maple Leafs are starting to gel at exactly the right time.



Ryan Reaves, who recently made some massive comments on teammate Auston Matthews, seems completely dialed in with eight games to go in the 2023-24 regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs will want that to continue in the playoffs in order to counteract players just like Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers.