Capellini: He's Alive! Tavares Finally Carrying Isles Like Superstar Should

By Jeff Capellini
WFAN.com

Throughout the first half of the season, John Tavares seemed incapable of raising his game back to the level that had made him one of the more feared players in the NHL.

Stories chronicling his demise were everywhere, and it was difficult for even his most ardent supporters to say the criticism wasn't at least a little bit warranted.

But since the All-Star break, something has changed -- and it couldn't have come at a better time for the playoff-bound Islanders.

"Johnny Hockey" is back, and appears to be skating downhill.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft has upped his game massively over the last few weeks, executing at a level befitting a player who is thought of as a superstar by just about everyone who follows the sport. Why he looked like anything but himself in the first place had been a point of contention among fans for months.

Was he in a slump? Was he hurt? Were his linemates just insufficient? Did he have something else on his mind? The truth is it's hard to pinpoint why a player as gifted as Tavares could struggle so mightily. The Islanders' captain, who at his best should easily be a point-per-game player, disappeared from the scoresheet for games at a time prior to the All-Star break. His body language screamed anything but what Isles fans had been used to. His frustration often manifested itself in the form of trying to do too much out on the ice, resulting in him ending up on his rear end and barking at an official. The results were far less than what many had grown to expect.

But the second half has been a different story. Why? Only he knows.

Tavares notched a goal and two assists in the Islanders' stirring 4-3 come-from-behind win over the league-best Capitals in Washington on Tuesday night. His pass setting up Thomas Hickey's overtime winner was other-worldly and showed that when this guy is playing to his lofty capabilities, he can do magical things.

The Isles' franchise player has been using sleight of hand a lot lately, as New York has battled through tons of adversity and injuries to secure its third playoff appearance in the last four seasons.

Tavares has six points in the last two games and nine, including four goals, over his last five, but there had been signs that a run like that was coming. He has 15 goals 33 points in the 32 games since the All-Star break. Contrast that with the 34 points he put up in his first 44 games and it's obvious that somewhere along the line the light went on.

Why it took him so long to get going is no longer important. The fact that the Isles' best player appears to be at or close to the top of his game with the playoffs starting next week is all that really matters. The Islanders will go as far as Tavares takes them. And you know what they say about players and teams that play their best hockey heading into the postseason. Unexpected things can happen.

At times confounding this season, this team has made up for its deficiencies with tremendous heart and, more often than not, stellar goaltending. Even when the Isles have stunk up the building -- Saturday's 5-0 home loss to Pittsburgh being the most recent example -- they've found a way to refocus and continue to stockpile points. They've won when they weren't supposed to, and when they've lost games they should have won, the sting of the defeats has not lingered.

Let's be honest. Off that embarrassing effort against the Penguins, a lot of people were understandably worried that if the Isles didn't miss the playoffs outright they'd at best be an easy target in the opening round. Two big wins over Eastern Conference kingpins later, they finally look like a team that understands the urgency of the situation. If they can keep this up into next week and get back some of their walking wounded along the way -- defensemen Travis Hamonic and Calvin de Haan, and winger Cal Clutterbuck come immediately to mind, they could be the team in the playoffs nobody wants any part of.

Tavares' play has made that type of speculation fair. He has been skating with renewed purpose, as evidenced by his explosive -- and nightly -- rushes up ice. He's winning seemingly every battle along the boards, keeping plays alive in some cases just with sheer will. His trademark vision and passing has returned with a vengeance. Perhaps not focused on enough, his movement away from the puck has improved dramatically as he has often put himself in position for high-danger scoring chances. And with the puck in those areas, he has been leaving little doubt.

It's pretty scary what this guy can do when he's feeling it. As head coach Jack Capuano has juggled lines in the hope of finding needed chemistry, Tavares has elevated the play of those put around him, something that was sorely lacking into February. For the first time in a while, the Isles look like they can generate enough offense to win regardless of their opponent. While that assessment may prove to be premature, the Islanders look better now than they did a week ago. The idea will be bottling whatever has motivated them of late for future consumption.

As we all know very well by now, the Islanders have not won a playoff series since 1993. Off last spring's disappointment against the Capitals, the front office has taken the scenic route putting productive veterans around the team's top player. Yet Tavares, either because he is simply fed up or has finally realized that he must be the man, is willing this team forward.

That's what great players do.

Read more columns by Jeff Capellini and follow him on Twitter at @GreenLanternJet