Craig Berube praises "outstanding" $77M Leafs star for stepping up in Auston Matthews' absence - Image source: Imagn
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been forced to play without captain Auston Matthews for several games as he deals with an upper-body injury.
In the meantime, the team has fared incredibly well despite his absence, winning six of the seven games Matthews has missed.
This success is largely due to the contributions of former captain John Tavares, who has recorded four goals and four assists without Auston Matthews in the lineup.
Tavares’ efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by head coach Craig Berube, who praised his “outstanding” work ethic.
"Since he's got feeling good again, he's been great. I think he's so good and tight and positionally and really strong on a stick, winning one-on-one battles," Berube said. "His work ethic is outstanding, and you know that he's just going to be solid all the time because of his work ethic."
