Curtis Gabriel wanted a fight with Ryan Reaves and spent the pregame trying to get his attention. According to Gabriel, Reaves brushed him off, saying he wasn’t worth the time. But when the third period started and both players lined up on the fourth lines, the scrap was finally on. Gabriel circled around, got next to Reaves, and both dropped gloves right after the puck hit the ice.
Gabriel came out with an aggressive left, but Reaves stayed calm and toyed with him a bit. After some positioning, Reaves landed a couple of shots to Gabriel’s visor. Gabriel attempted his trademark move—grabbing the opponent’s hand with his right and twisting to set up a punch—but couldn’t connect cleanly. Reaves fired back. The fight continued in bursts, with both trying to get good angles. Gabriel tried the same move again and even switched it up with a body shot attempt. That’s when he made his biggest mistake. The low shot left his face wide open, and Reaves delivered a clean punch straight to the cheekbone. It was the most solid connection of the fight.
After the scrap, Gabriel skated to the bench with his face marked up and Reaves chirping at him. Gabriel tried to keep it cordial, saying it was just a “friendly fight,” but Reaves wasn’t in the mood for that. Talk big, take a shot, and this is what happens when you finally get the fight you asked for.