John Tavares comments on the level of urgency the Maple Leafs must reach
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
John Tavares addressed the Toronto Maple Leafs' recent struggles and stressed the importance of raising their urgency.
Coming off their fourth straight loss, the Toronto Maple Leafs are searching for a way to turn things around, with their inconsistent play leading them to sitting lower than expected in the Atlantic Division.
While the team is dealing with injuries, John Tavares doesn't believe there is any excuse for the team's performance as of late, and urged his team to play with a bit more fire.
How Tavares defines the urgency facing the Maple Leafs
Speaking to reporters after Thursday's 4-3 OT loss to the Los Angeles Kings, Tavares reiterated that if the Maple Leafs want to turn things around, they need to raise their level of urgency:
We got to work our way through it ... Things are only getting tougher & tougher within our own division, within the league. We just got to stay at it & know we got a lot better in our game, a lot better individually. But the urgency has to be high.
Tavares implored the team to work as a unit, and that while the individual accomplishments this season are to be admired, a full team effort leads to the most success.
For his part, the former Maple Leafs captain has put in a strong effort so far in 2025. In 18 games, he's posted 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) and leads the team in goals while winning face-offs at nearly a 60% clip.
Despite his strong production, the team's results have continued to fluctuate, as Toronto has given up the most goals in the NHL this season (65) and though some of that could be attributed to Anthony Stolarz's injury and Joseph Woll's absence; it's a small piece of a bigger puzzle.
There isn't more Toronto can do but play urgently, and risking a fall even further in the standings, they are facing a tough road schedule that could make or break their season.
Tavares is trying to rally the troops before things get dire, and one solution that seems to rise above the rest is the fact that the former captain believes a higher level of urgency will help Toronto find more consistent results.
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