John Tavares takes full ownership of the Leafs' late collapse against the Bruins

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Mike Armenti
January 15, 2023 (10:20)

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Last night's tilt against the Boston Bruins was a tale of two games for Leafs captain John Tavares. On one hand, he was responsible for an insane feed that led to the Leafs taking an early 1-0 lead over the big, bad Bruins. On the other hand, he was responsible for a turnover in the final two minutes of the game, which led to Matt Grzelcyk scoring the game winner. It was an absolute backbreaker for the Leafs, who at times appeared up to the task of beating the Bruins.

Following the game, Tavares met with the media to discuss the undesired outcome in a game that felt like a playoff game, tightly-contested and never really out of reach. In fact, his Leafs held two different leads in the game, which appeared as though it was destined for overtime until Tavares' late giveaway proved costly.

"Pretty competitive game ... Just came down to us making a mistake late. That's on me. Thought I saw Willie in the middle and got to be 100% sure. I thought the guys battled hard. I gotta make a smarter play there."

-Tavares on the play that cost his team at least a point in the standings

This Leafs team has been all about accountability this year. Rather than making excuses for their losses, they've taken every single loss on the chin this season and have committed to playing better. It has often worked out well, where they rebound nicely, so let's hope it's the same when they take on the Florida Panthers on Tuesday in Toronto.

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