Toronto Maple Leafs Captain John Tavares acknowledges the crowd as he is honoured for his 1,000th NHL point, prior to a game against the New York Rangers in Toronto on Dec. 19.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
It was a night for John Tavares, ugly sweaters and a little holiday cheer at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.
During a pregame ceremony that included his parents, wife and three young children, the Maple Leafs honoured Tavares for reaching 1,000 points during his career.
Tavares reached the landmark with a goal and an assist against the Islanders in New York on Dec. 11. The Maple Leafs captain previously played for the Islanders for nine years.
“It is really special for me to have my family be a part of a milestone like this,” Tavares said earlier in the day. Before each game, he writes his kids’ names on his hockey stick. “It means the world to me.”
A video was played that featured highlights of his career, he received a piece of crystal from the NHL, a painting of him was unveiled, and the Maple Leafs’ organization donated $25,000 to the children’s charity that carries Tavares’s name.
He was also given a golden stick by Toronto great Darryl Sittler and golden mini sticks were handed out to his kids.
“He does a lot of his best work behind the scenes and a lot of people don’t see it,” Sheldon Keefe, the Maple Leafs head coach, said earlier. “When someone has a milestone like this it is really a chance to appreciate them for the career they have had.”
Tavares, 33, entered the contest against the New York Rangers with 1,004 points in 1,057 games. He was held off the scoresheet in the 5-2 loss, which ended his seven-game point streak.
The Maple Leafs’ game presentation staff had arena hosts Danielle Emanuele and Scotty Willats dressed in ugly Christmas sweaters, organist Jimmy Holmstrom played the keyboards in a Santa outfit and fans smooched on a mistletoe cam.
Defenceman Braden Schneider, left wing Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanajed each scored for New York in the third period to put the game away. Toronto got both of its goals from Auston Matthews, who now leads the NHL with 25. Matthews has scored nine times in his past five games and 11 times over the past seven.
Matthews sat out Saturday’s contest against Pittsburgh while ill with the flu but he showed no ill effects on Tuesday.
“He didn’t miss a beat,” Keefe said. “That’s what you want to see.”
Toronto is on the road for its next three games, at Buffalo on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday and Ottawa on Dec. 27.
The Rangers scored twice in the second period, both on peculiar goals, to take a 2-0 lead. One bounced off Toronto defenceman Jake McCabe’s stick and then off of Zibanejad into the net. The other, a shot by Jonny Brodzinski, deflected off Morgan Rielly of the Maple Leafs and the goal was awarded to Alexis Lafrenière. Martin Jones, who got the start in the home team’s net, didn’t have a chance to stop either.
“It was a strange game,” Keefe said.
New York avenged a 7-3 loss to Toronto just a week earlier at Madison Square Garden. The Original Six matchup was the second of three between the Eastern Conference opponents in the 2023-24 campaign.
Jones got Tuesday’s start versus the Rangers as a reward for a 38-save shutout performance against the Penguins on Saturday. He came in with victories in each of his previous three appearances and was mostly victimized by strange bounces. He stopped 31 of the 35 shots he faced.
Igor Shesterkin had 33 saves in the opposing crease.
Toronto had been 10-1-4 over its past 15 games. It fell to 16-7-6 overall and is six points behind first-place Boston in the Atlantic Division. New York is 22-7-1 and leads the Metropolitan Division.
The Rangers are 15-2-1 when they score first and did it again.
Zibanejad scored an empty netter late to finish the scoring. The Swedish centre has 11 goals in 30 games.
Blake Wheeler and Erik Gustafsson each had three assists for New York. William Nylander had an assist to increase his points streak to nine games.
The loss dampened the earlier celebration for Tavares a bit, but his teammates were pleased to see him get special recognition.
“He is a great human being and he reached a great milestone,” Rielly said. “This was a great opportunity for us to put him in the spotlight.”