John Tavares is looking forward to the opportunity to turn around the Maple Leafs’ season on a road trip

“There’s a lot of hockey to be played, and that’s just it,” Tavares told reporters after practice. “It’s a great opportunity on this road trip to do some good things, get some results and put ourselves in a good spot. So I’m just looking forward to the challenge tomorrow. Obviously you’re aware of the length of this journey and what it entails, but just stay focused on tomorrow and play a good hockey game and do what we can to win.”

Asked about the mood in the locker room while the team is in the midst of a losing streak of seven of its last eight games, Tavares believes the spirit within the team remains high. One way this can become a reality is with more quality, starting with Joseph Woll, who hasn’t missed a step since returning from leave.

“He’s been phenomenal,” Tavares said of Woll. “He looks after himself so well and is extremely fit. Attention to detail and his approach and the work he puts into himself in a lot of areas and how he sees the game and prepares the way he does. He’s been massive for us and has really given us an opportunity through the games here where we haven’t really been able to maintain the momentum that we would like or get the game back at times.”

If the Leafs want to make things click again, they will start by playing a stronger overall game and handling the momentum swings better than before. That means paying attention to the finer details, having a collective buy-in for the attackers to support the defenders, and having high alert in their own zone to put out fires. Tavares and William Nylander had an extensive conversation with Berube before the start of the training

“We’re just talking defensively about some of our details,” Tavares said. “Things that we’re working on, we’re going to continue to try to hone it, and we want to make sure you understand it as clearly as possible through our meetings and through video and all that kind of stuff. So make sure we’re ready to go as we work on things today.”

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