Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares made history on Wednesday night, getting his 500th career goal in an embarrassing loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The goal came late in the third period with the game 6-1 in favor of the Blue Jackets. The Maple Leafs, despite outshooting Columbus, were out of it after 40 minutes. Still, Tavares and his line kept pushing, recovering some pride for the club.
Here’s a look at the historic tally:
Tavares became just the 49th player in NHL history to net 500 career goals. Tavares joined Mats Sundin as the only players to score 500 career tallies while playing for the Maple Leafs.
The marker was Tavares’ sixth of the season. With the goal, Tavares took over the team lead in goals. He also moved into second spot on the Maple Leafs in scoring with 14 points. Tavares is now one point behind William Nylander for the team in scoring.
Tavares’ historic tally was a bright spot in an otherwise terrible game for the Maple Leafs. Toronto was coming off a gutsy 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames the night before. However, the Leafs came out flat-footed, quickly falling behind 2-0 in the first period.
The Leafs momentarily got to within one goal in the second period, but ended up trailing 5-1 after 40 minutes. Two late tallies made the final score look a little less lopsided than it really was.
Tavares Emerges as Maple Leafs’ Most Resilient Player
It’s no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a sluggish start. Following Wednesday night’s loss, the team is now 5-5-1. While their record isn’t exactly bad, it’s not what fans would have expected.
Amid the tough start, Tavares has emerged as the Maple Leafs’ most resilient player. He’s been a strong presence, providing stability and crucial scoring amid Matthews’ struggles. Tavares has found some much-needed chemistry with Matthew Knies, allowing the duo to rack up points despite the rest of the team struggling to do so.
The 35-year-old has now shown no significant signs of slowing down. He’s averaged nearly 18 minutes a night this season. Defensively, Tavares remains as good as he’s been over the last few seasons. So, there’s no reason to believe Tavares is heading into a decline.
Toronto Needs More Production from Rest of Team
While it’s been a pleasant surprise to see Tavares continue to play at a high level for the Maple Leafs, the fact is that the rest of the team must step up. The Leafs cannot afford to rely solely on Tavares, especially with high-end talent like Matthews and William Nylander.
But beyond the Maple Leafs’ top scorers, other secondary scorers like Matias Maccelli, Morgan Rielly, and Max Domi must step up to support the club’s top stars. The Leafs will be counting on every member stepping up this season. The team cannot afford to continue to struggle offensively.
Otherwise, it could be a disappointing season for Leafs Nation even before the playoffs begin.
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