![]() Those expectations for the North Division's No. "Losing your captain, it's not what you want when you're going into a playoff run where you've got high expectations." "It's a very unfortunate predicament," Keefe added. 3 scorer behind Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. Relieved to learn Tavares is on the mend, the attention shifted to what Toronto now faces without its leader and No. The blood-stained veteran centre, who suffered a concussion and tried to get to his skates as medical personnel from both teams scrambled to offer assistance, spent the night in hospital, but was discharged Friday morning. Tavares was stretchered off inside an eerily quiet, fan-less Scotiabank Arena in the first period of Toronto's 2-1 loss to Montreal in Game 1 on Thursday after taking an accidental knee to the face from Canadiens winger Corey Perry. "We've got to rally around this situation." ![]() "Hockey is not a one-man show," head coach Sheldon Keefe said following Friday's brief practice session. Now minus captain John Tavares following a scary collision 10 minutes into a mouth-watering Original Six matchup, Toronto is already facing another mountain of adversity in the spring of 2021.Īnd the Leafs know it's up to them - and them alone - to change the narrative. The team also bowed out early after losing Jake Muzzin to injury in last summer's post-season bubble. Even after a devastating injury last year, Tavares would have been ready by the Second Round and available to help his team battle for a Stanley Cup.TORONTO - The Maple Leafs were unable to overcome Nazem Kadri suspensions in both the 20 playoffs. He’s one of the most underrated players in the NHL because he brings it every night and there’s rarely a game he looks lost. In fact, he’s currently on-pace for 41 goals, which would be the second time he’s done that. Tavares had 11 straight 20-goal seasons before finishing with 19 goals in a shortened 56-game season last year, but he’s once again on-pace for that mark. ![]() I’m not saying that he deserves criticism but in Toronto, even a future Hall-of-Famer like Mitch Marner can get spoken of like they’re a fourth-line scrub, so that should say everything about who Tavares is. Maybe it’s because he’s playing well, but the fact that a captain of the Leafs isn’t getting any criticism speaks volume to him. Although he’s the captain, his name never gets mentioned as the person who needs to step up. When we look at the Toronto Maple Leafs roster, the names of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and William Nylander always get mentioned before Tavares. That’s a 0.94 points-per-game average, so since essentially 2009, Tavares has scored a point in every NHL game he’s played. In 882 career NHL games, Tavares as 831 points (stats: ). He finds his way on the scoresheet every night and is consistent as they come. The Toronto Maple Leafs Captain Should Be More AppreciatedĪs we sit today, Tavares has 12 points in 12 games, which includes six goals and six assists. Although he hasn’t lifted a Stanley Cup, his point production and consistency is one of the best of the past decade. He’s also a local kid, which makes wearing that “C” that much more special for him and the organization.Īs the former first-overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Tavares has lived up to every expectation. He’s well-spoken, doesn’t stir up any drama in the media and is as professional as they come. Tavares is a perfect captain for this team. However, as we reflect on that contract, that deal is worth every penny. It was already a holiday in Canada, but it felt like an even bigger celebration as the Leafs finally recruited a big-name free agent to come back home.Īlthough his salary was expensive, the cap was supposed to go up and that $11M AAV wasn’t supposed to be one of the biggest contracts in the NHL by now. When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed John Tavares to a seven-year deal worth $11M AAV, the city erupted. Do Toronto Maple Leafs fans really understand how good John Tavares is?
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