Getting called out? Maple Leafs captain John Tavares OK with it
Players getting called out publicly, a banged-up roster and lugging consecutive losses in regulation.
Not long after coach Sheldon Keefe called off practice on Wednesday because he wouldn’t have had enough players to get the proper work done, captain John Tavares took responsibility for his part in the Leafs’ sloppy 6-3 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night.
“Especially as the captain, you really want to be at the top of the list for being accountable and setting the standard and the way we need to play,” Tavares said after a handful of his teammates made it on the ice at the Ford Performance Centre.
“(Keefe) is good in discussions with me and throughout our lineup, and when there’s plays to be made, make the plays, depending on the situation in the game we’re in. I had an opportunity in the second period where tried to make a play and misjudged it (leading to the Devils going back the other way).
“That’s on me. I recognize that. Get back to what you do well, and how you impact the team especially on the leadership side of things.”
Keefe acknowledged he addressed the team immediately after the loss, something he rarely does. And before calling out Tavares during his post-game availability with media, he did the same with the players, though there was blame to go around to each corner in the dressing room.
“He has been great, and he will be great,” Keefe said of Tavares. “I brought John up (Tuesday), as I did in the room with the team, because he’s our leader and he has to set the tone.
“Sometimes it’s part of his play (that sets the tome). Sometimes it’s as the captain to help bring the group back when they’re slipping, when others were slipping. I added him to the list of our best players when I was asked about William (Nylander) and Auston (Matthews).
