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It didn’t take long for the Maple Leafs’ big offseason purchase to starting paying dividends.
After a summer of change for the Oakville, Ontario native, John Tavares lit the lamp in his very first regular season contest in the blue and white as the team took a 2-1 lead in its season opener against the Canadiens on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old clearly didn’t lose even one ounce of his swagger during the transition from Long Island to Toronto:
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 4, 2018
Picking the puck up just outside the Canadiens blue line, JT took a couple quick strides down the right wing before throwing on the breaks and executing a sickening cut-back move towards the high slot and ripping one past Carey Price.
Tavares’ ability to close in on a defender at top speed with full puck control before stopping and angling towards the middle of the ice is one of his best transition skills, and that combination of footwork and spacial awareness was on full display during his first tally as a Leaf.
That goal followed Auston Matthews’ first of the season, as the team’s elite 1-2 punch down the middle didn’t disappoint on opening night.
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