Tavares hasn’t even reached his best yet for the Leafs.
He’s on pace for what would be a career-best 47 goals and 94 points and zipping along with 5-on-5 production rates not seen at any point in his nine seasons with the Islanders. It’s still early, but from goals per 60 minutes (1.7) to assists (1.5), points (3.2) and shots per 60 (10.7), the numbers have never looked this good for Tavares, who also leads the league with 28 high-danger shot attempts at even strength.
The Leafs, meanwhile, have outscored foes 14-7 when he’s been on the ice 5-on-5.
Some of the uptick, no doubt, comes from playing with Mitchell Marner, and Tavares says with every passing practice, skate and game, he’s getting a better feel for his surging 21-year-old linemate.
“I think certainly now, game 14 today, and the practice time we’ve had, exhibition games — I’d like to think we think the game pretty well (together),” said Tavares, still wearing gear from his 20-minute night against the Penguins while Marner blazed by in a long baby blue dress coat. “You can make adjustments and get more of a sense of the way he plays and getting a better feel for his poise. I think you always know it, but until you kinda see it and go through it and have those opportunities to really get a feel of your timing and where to be and trying to read off him and his body language and what he likes to do — you see it on a day-to-day basis, you just get a better feel for it.
“It’ll only continue to get better,” he added. “I think when you play with guys for long periods of time, it’s just amazing when you see the chemistry (develop). I think you can see it with the team we just played, how long they’ve been together, and just so many things become automatic, you don’t even think about them. As I get more comfortable and get a feel for him, and even just the way we play, things will get better and better I think.”
Increased comfort was evident against the Penguins.
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