"Tavares isn't known to be an overly physical presence, but he was throwing his body around and refused to back down from the Kings, getting in their faces constantly throughout the night. Tavares was one of the few Leafs constantly buzzing in the offensive zone, and he worked a strong two-man game in conjunction with Oliver Ekman-Larsson for his first goal of the contest."
"Tavares and Matthew Knies combined to win a puck battle behind the net, then the star centre got to the net-front, where William Nylander found him alone. The 35-year-old made no mistake from in close, and while there will be plenty of blame to be assigned, Tavares deserves an exemption. He was a constant offensive force, continuing what's been an outstanding season to date."
Los Angeles defeated Toronto 4-3 in overtime, with Quinton Byfield scoring the winner off a Drew Doughty feed. Warren Foegele, Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere also scored for the Kings. Byfield celebrated a homecoming in his York-Simcoe Express jersey. Auston Matthews was ruled out, and John Tavares responded by leading the Maple Leafs, scoring twice and playing aggressively. Bobby McMann and Matthew Knies contributed with puck battles and zone work. Tavares led the team in shots, goals and individual expected goals, but Toronto extended its losing streak to four games despite his efforts.
Read at theleafsnation.com
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