Game 1 between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights got ugly.
In the third period, with Vegas getting blown out, enforcer Ryan Reaves received a match penalty for attempting to injure Avs blue-liner Ryan Graves. A match penalty, rather than a game misconduct, means Reaves is suspended indefinitely until the commissioner rules on the issue.
Graves was bloodied and stayed down on the ice before getting back on his feet.
Match penalty for Ryan Reaves for attempt to injure pic.twitter.com/7JEMzSN2h8
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) May 31, 2021
Reaves may have been seeking retribution after Graves knocked Mattias Janmark out of the game earlier in the contest with a massive hit.
YIKES#GoAvsGo Ryan Graves hit on #VegasBorn Mattias Janmark
— Just some guy (@TheReplayGuy) May 31, 2021
🎥 @NHLonNBCSports pic.twitter.com/jrsgwMPb1n
Graves was dealt a two-minute minor for interference for the hit. Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer said postgame that the hit was "dirty," according to Fox's Vince Sapienza.
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog took issue with Reaves' mindset.
Landeskog was asked about the Golden Knight's physical play in the 3rd period.
— Michael Spencer (@MichaelCBS4) May 31, 2021
"I don't know if you can call that physicality...Reaves is on a mission to hurt somebody there in the 3rd, and that's what he does." #GoAvsGo @CBSDenver pic.twitter.com/Isy7yThY5s
"Reaves, he's on a mission to hurt somebody there in the third," Landeskog said postgame. "That's what he goes out and does."
Reaves received an additional two minutes for roughing for his part in the brouhaha. His teammates Jonathan Marchessault, Alex Pietrangelo, and Zach Whitecloud all received 10-minute misconducts. Brandon Saad and Valeri Nichushkin were handed 10-minute misconducts for the Avs.
Colorado ended up receiving a unique nine-minute power play. The Avs scored one goal with it in what ended up being a dominant 7-1 rout. The match finished with a total of 76 penalty minutes.
Game 2 is set for Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.
