On the slumping John Tavares and what he needs to do to turn things around
Besides his knack for winning key faceoffs, Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares has been virtually unnoticeable for far too long in this second half of the season.
Tavares enters tonight's game in Columbus goalless in his last nine games and it isn't a case of bad luck; he hasn't even been generating any chances.
After last night's embarrassing loss to the rival Montreal Canadiens, when questioned about Tavares and his line mates, Leafs' Head Coach, Sheldon Keefe offered the following to reporters:
-- Sheldon Keefe
As is often the case in the center of the hockey universe, when social media blew up after last night's loss and Tavares and his line bore the brunt of much of the frustration from Leafs Nation:
It will certainly be interesting to see Keefe's approach to tonight's game against the streaking Blue Jackets and whether he does shuffle the lines up. Tavares needs to put his head down and get back to doing what he does best; winning puck battles along the wall and tipping pucks in front of the net.
Puck drop in Columbus shortly after 7PM ET.
