Ryan Reaves a lock to play game one against the Boston Bruins

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a huge task ahead of them in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it appears they'll have a big, physical threat to help them.

No matter who the Maple Leafs drew in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it was going to be a major test, but with an 0-4 record against Boston this season, they're a major underdog. One thing that separates this team from last years is their physicality, and with Ryan Reaves solid play as of late, he needs to be in the lineup for game one of this series.


Sure, the veteran isn't going to score many goals or drive the offense, but the playoffs are a different beast physically, and with Marner, Matthews, Nylander and others to do the scoring, Reaves has a key role to play. He started the year slow, but as time rolled on he got used to his role and played well down the stretch, with a recent matchup against Montreal showing that he can still be incredibly effective.



Whether or not he lasts the whole series is another story entirely, but given the edge that Toronto need to play with, having the veteran in there to start the series is a must, and if he struggles, the Maple Leafs have plenty of depth to replace him. With Brad Marchand especially, the Maple Leafs need to be ruthless and have their top stars focusing on what they do best, but whether or not Reaves, Marchand or any others drop the gloves this series, it's bound to be a bloodbath.

Source: The Leafs Nation

Ryan Reaves has earned the opportunity to play Game 1 for the Leafs