John Tavares lifts Isles to playoff berth

John Tavares vs. Rangers' goalie - Robert Kowal - flickr.com

The New York Islanders have been plagued by bad luck for the past six years. After surprisingly making it to the playoffs in 2007, the Isles went back into a slump in which they wouldn’t make the playoffs for six years. This year, they were able to clinch the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference and played the top seeded Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Islanders went 8-0-3 in the month of April in order to earn a playoff berth. Only one of their three losses were in regulation, showing the resilience and determination of the young team. One player in particular who helped the Isles play astoundingly in April was John Tavares.

Tavares was drafted first overall in the 2009 draft from the London Knights. In his first two years his play wasn’t as consistent as it was in London. This year he has shown that he is an elite center and a contender for the Hart Trophy.

Tavares played 48 games in the regular season, ranking first in games played and in those games he scored 28 goals, constantly helping the team be competitive. He finished third in goals scored, only behind Alex Ovechkin and Steve Stamkos. Tavares is among the elite scorers of the league. Some may argue he’s only good at scoring, but he’s fifth overall in goals created which makes him a diverse offensive player. The one thing that Tavares must work on is his maturity level, as a 22-year-old he must gain experience and help the younger Islanders.

"We just keep getting better and that's the exciting part for us. We didn't seem to put any of our focus on the outside, we just worried about in here, the belief in here and knowing that when we play our game, we're a tough team to play against, no matter who we're playing,” said Tavares in a New York Newsday article.

Tavares is able to lead the team when he is on the ice due to his tenacity and heart. He can score in the first few minutes of the game or in overtime.  With Tavares playing well, the Islanders can be a top contender for the championship next season.