Leafs prepping for a rough game against the Panthers, dressing Ryan Reaves

The Leafs have made enforcer Ryan Reaves a healthy scratch in 4 of the last 5 games, but, according to The Hockey News' David Alter, Reavo will dress tonight against the Panthers.

Reaves sat out on November 11th against the Vancouver Canucks, missed both games in Sweden against Detroit and Minnesota, dressed for Friday's game against Chicago and then was scratched again when the Leafs went 11F/7D against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

The Panthers, possessing the likes of Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, Ryan Lomberg and Jonah Gadjovich, and while the Leafs have done a better job of late standing up for themselves and for one another, having a guy like Reaves in the lineup should help to not only increase the physicality, but also the psychological part of the game.

Reaves is a bit of a motor mouth, and since the Panthers have a few of those guys on their roster, it's better to have Reaves around to try to draw some of that attention away from the Leafs' top players. His presence on the bench may also be viewed as a deterrent for reckless behaviour from the Panthers - and with the Leafs having the luxury of getting the last change at home, if Keefe wants to get Reaves out there to dispense some justice, there's really nothing Panthers coach Paul Maurice will be able to do about it.