Leafs captain John Tavares not pleased with giving up 2 points to the Blackhawks
Leafs captain John Tavares wasn't pleased with the outcome of last night's game, losing 4-1 to the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks, but had no interest in making excuses for his team like many players in Toronto would have done in years past.
Tavares was one of a handful of Leafs who met with the media on Monday following the loss to the Hawks and he had plenty to say about what his team will need to work on moving forward to avoid similar situations from occurring again down the line.
"Just a little bit on the counter and the transition game that a lot of teams possess. Just the responsibility and the structure that we've got to have in all 3 zones. Even when you're controlling play and creating opportunities, you've got to realize how quick teams can counter in transition and can be opportunistic at the highest level in the world and how quick plays can be made against you. We had opportunities to take the lead, get back in the game, but obviously not a spot we want to keep putting ourselves in."
One member of the media in attendance had wondered whether the loss had anything to do with all of the new players coming in, whether it be someone like Tyler Bertuzzi or Ryan Reaves, or even some of the younger kids like Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten. Tavares was quick to shut down that line of thought.
"I don't think that's a big reason why. I think we win and lose as a team."
Last season, the Leafs got off to a slower start than expected and were actually barely .500 after their first 10 games of the season. Tavares has drawn a line in the sand and told the media on Monday that his team doesn't want to spend nearly as much time trying to find their game as they did last year. The captain wants to buckle down, get to work and sort these issues out to avoid losing points, stating that even the early-season points are vital.
"We expect a lot of ourselves and we want to play at a certain level and a certain standard. We can say it's a long season, but we want to get our game going as soon as possible. Each game matters the same, so the points are important and continuing to get better and improve is extremely important... we've got to get more connected from start to finish."
The Leafs will have a couple of days to use to their benefit before beginning a 5-game road trip on Thursday in a playoff grudge match against the Florida Panthers.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 17 | 162 ANSWERS Leafs captain John Tavares not pleased with giving up 2 points to the Blackhawks After 3 games, do you still think the Leafs will win the Atlantic Division this season? | ||
| Absolutely | 79 | 48.8 % |
| No, but they'll still be 2nd or 3rd | 65 | 40.1 % |
| I never did think they'd win the Atlantic | 18 | 11.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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