When one of the best players in the world is in a prolonged slump, it colors everything his team does. It doesn’t matter how many wins there are to try to mask it.
So here is John Tavares, still answering questions about his lack of production even as his Islanders haven’t lost in regulation in eight games, a 6-0-2 run that began before Thanksgiving. They’re now 16-8-5 overall and have shot up the standings to be at least within sniffing distance of the Rangers and Capitals atop the Metropolitan Division.