Reaves drops the gloves with Deslauriers in hardcore fight at center ice

Early on in the first period of today's game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers, two of the biggest enforcers in the league got the main event started early. Ryan Reaves and Nic Deslauriers squared off for a huge fight at center ice.

With his team down a goal early on, Reaves was looking to spark the team with the fight right away. Both enforcers landed some heavy blows and looked like they beat their hands on helmets quite a bit, but Deslauriers got the harder hits and was tossing around Reaves with his body weight.

After the fight, it looked like Reaves' eye was already swelling shut, and he was closely examining his hands for an injury.



This kind of old-school fighting clearly still has a place in today's skilled game. A team like the Leafs, known for their elite talent up front still has Reaves as a regular in the lineup to protect the stars and drag the team into the fight physically sometimes. And there's no doubt about it - the fans still love to see an old fashioned heavyweight tilt like this.