John Tavares calls out his teammates after 1st loss

Going 82-0 with Auston Matthews netting a hat trick in every game wasn't a very realistic goal after all. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered their first defeat of the season last night at the hands of young forward Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, a 4-1 loss that carried a concerning lack of urgency in the mind of captain John Tavares. 

"We expect a lot of ourselves and we want to play at a certain level and a certain standard," he said. "We can say it's a long season, but we want to get our game going as soon as possible. Each game matters the same, so the points are important and continuing to get better and improve is extremely important... we've got to get more connected from start to finish."

The Leafs are understandably expecting bigger and better things this season after having won a playoff series this past spring for the first time since 2004 as well as bringing in several new players to try and get them over the hump that is Round 2.

The effort and the overall flow of the game that Tavares saw from his teammates last night wasn't cutting it.

"Just a little bit on the counter and the transition game that a lot of teams possess," he said. "Just the responsibility and the structure that we've got to have in all 3 zones. Even when you're controlling play and creating opportunities, you've got to realize how quick teams can counter in transition and can be opportunistic at the highest level in the world and how quick plays can be made against you. We had opportunities to take the lead, get back in the game, but obviously not a spot we want to keep putting ourselves in."

Tavares and the Leafs will be back at it again when they visit the Florida Panthers, who knocked them out of the playoffs, on Thursday night.

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