Auston Matthews returned to practice and nearly took part in a full session. The question is how much longer? Chris Tanev has been everything and more for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. The 35-year-old took a puck to the face in the second period, and with his face dripping with blood, went straight to the dressing room. Not even 15 minutes later, Tanev emerged from Toronto's tunnel, ready to go again. "He's old school for sure and he's a gamer all around. He lays it on the line. I mean, I was expecting him back sooner than later, I'll tell you that," said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube after Toronto's 3-1 win over the Islanders. "He's a special player. A special player with just how he thinks the game and plays the game. Not a lot of those guys around anymore, and we're very fortunate to have him." Tanev finished the game with four blocked shots in 17:37 of ice time. The veteran defenseman leads the NHL in blocks with 106 in 37 games this season. Berube mentioned after the game that Tanev did receive stitches after taking a puck to the face, but the head coach wasn't sure of how many. "I don't know if I've ever seen a D-man block as many shots as he does. I'll tell you that. He never panics with the puck. I mean, if he doesn't have a play, he eats it and grinds it out of the zone or grinds it to make a play later," Berube added. "But he doesn't ever panic. His head's up. He's a very intelligent player. I'll tell you that. His ability is his ability. You know, with, you know, everything else. But his ability is right here (points to head) and right here (heart). That's what he has." Morgan Rielly and Tanev haven't played much together this season after beginning the year as a defense pairing. However, Rielly still witnesses Tanev's willingness to put his body on the line every single game for the Maple Leafs. And he wasn't surprised to see Tanev back so quickly. "Tough guy. Competitor. Ultimate warrior," Rielly said. "Albeit impressive, with him it's almost not surprising." Even Steven Lorentz, who's only been Tanev's teammate for less than half a season, wasn't surprised to see the defenseman walk out of the tunnel as quick as he did after taking the puck to the mouth. "I mean, you just know what he brings every single night. It's not flashy. I mean, you need guys like that in your roster if you're going to win championships. He's just such a selfless guy, very humble and quiet, but he's the first guy to be laying out in front of pucks," said the 28-year-old forward. "But he's a warrior and came right back and played a solid shutdown game for the rest of the third. So, we weren't shocked to see him come back and obviously a big gash on his face, but that's just the kind of guy he is." Before Toronto's game against the Washington Capitals earlier this week, Tanev was asked about Alex Ovechkin's quest to Wayne Gretzky's goal record. He's blocked his fair share of Ovechkin's shots, but didn't shy away when asked if Ovechkin's shots hurt a little more than the rest. "They all hurt," he smiled. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3eCzibhQ7o[/embed] Joseph Woll stopped 30 of 31 shots for his 11th win of the season. He's had a front row seat to Tanev's shot blocking abilities and appreciates the defenseman's to step in front of shots the way he does. "He's very underrated, I think, even by when people talk about how good he is defensively. He is so poised with the puck and he makes great plays and blocks a lot of shots. He's the goalie's best friend back there." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNjM5NDEwNTc4NDM0MDI0/googlenews.svg] Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwytvfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
