Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthews and Tavares feed off each other
By Jasmine Yen
NWhat separates good players from the great is their constant obsession with improving their game. Matthews and Tavares are both excellent examples of this.
In four regular-season games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews has scored seven times and has 10 points. John Tavares has already had a hattrick and has a total of six goals. It seems like every time Matthews scores a goal, Tavares is right on his heels with an answer.
Even though they are on the same team, the internal competition is visible. They are in the midst of a scoring battle and the Leafs are just sitting back and grabbing the popcorn. What makes players great is their competitive level and both players are extremely competitive, making it great for high-scoring, high-flying Leafs’ offense.
More from Toronto Maple Leafs
- Maple Leafs News: Sheldon Keefe gets a multi-year extension
- 3 players the Toronto Maple Leafs should trade away
- Maple Leafs News: Auston Matthews has an extension
- Maple Leafs: Five players to keep an eye on heading into the new season
- Shane Wright and two other NHL stars will break out in 2023-24
When the 2017-18 season ended, Matthews was coming off a very good year. Despite missing 20 games to injury, he still recorded 34 goals and had 63 points in 62 games. However, he was not satisfied. His goal for the next season was to get more assists than goals. This constant search for minor improvements in his game is what makes Matthews so dominant and fuels him to get better.
In the 2018-19 season, he has played four preseason games and four regular season games and has scored in every single one, except for the preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres.
John Tavares has found a dominant home centering Zach Hyman and Mitch Marner. That line has the best possession numbers on the team and he already has both a hattrick and a multi-goal game.
The hole that James van Riemsdyk left on the power play was more than filled by Tavares. Currently, both Matthews and Tavares have 2 powerplay goals and the Leafs’ power play percentage is 50 percent.
Next. One Reason Each Team Should Be Excited For Next Season. dark
These two players have taken a stranglehold on the Leafs offense and the constant back and forth of scoring from them is terrifying every opposing team. Their ability to dominate the ice, combined with the talent and tenacity from their wingers (Kapanen and Hyman beating out icing calls, Marner and Marleau setting up plays) makes them the best one-two punch in the NHL.