Bobby McMann sustained a lower-body injury but it appears as though he's on the mend and could make his way back sooner rather than later. John Tavares is having a season to remember with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Once a player reaches their mid-30s, their play begins to slow down. However, with Tavares, his play appears to be speeding up. The 34-year-old, on Sunday, secured his second hat-trick of the season in the Maple Leafs' 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Tavares' 13th, 14th, and 15th goals of the season came consecutively, meaning it was a natural hat-trick on the night for Toronto's assistant captain. "He just keeps working. I don't know what to tell you. I mean, this guy's got a heavy stick, smart, competitive," said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube after Sunday's game. "I mean, he works at his game constantly even at this age and he's still doing a great job. It's great to see. He's been excellent for us all year." His three goals against the Sabres propels him up to 15 goals through 30 games this year: a 40-goal pace by season's end. Tavares is three goals behind William Nylander (18) for the team lead in that category. The forward has only scored 40 goals once in his career, during the 2018-19 season, where he found the back of the net 47 times through 82 games. With the goals on Sunday, plus a couple of the moves he was making, Tavares looked as confident as ever amid his 15th year in the NHL. "I'm just playing. I think I got a lot of belief in my game and what I can do. Whether that's scoring or that's just making an impact all over the ice. So, continue to help this team as best I can. Obviously, (my) whole life I've been able to produce offensively, score goals, and I just want to continue to do that when those chances present themselves," Tavares said on Sunday. "Obviously, playing on a team like we have, and the type of players that we have, they make so many good plays and put you in so many good spots. So, just great to get rewarded, and like I said, help the team tonight in that way." It's a big year for Tavares. Not only did he pass off the Maple Leafs' captaincy to Auston Matthews this summer, but he's also in a contract year. (The forward is in the final season of a seven-year, $77 million contract he signed with Toronto in 2018.) Tavares is on pace for 76 points by the end of this year and could surpass that point total by April with his current play. Witnessing a player improve with age doesn't happen often, but it isn't unusual in today's NHL. And still, over time, Tavares continues to prove that he's a vital part of a Maple Leafs team preparing for a deep playoff run later this season. "He's the ultimate pro, man. He's a huge part of this team, has been for a long time. We all love Johnny and really happy for him," said Max Domi on Sunday. "He comes up clutch over and over again in his whole career, and we've got to keep building and help him and all the other guys out whenever we can."
