Even amid the standard-issue cliches about wanting to treat it like any other game and focus on earning the two points, captain John Tavares let on after the morning skate today that it would be a special moment if he were to reach the 1,000-point milestone on Long Island. He currently sits at 998.
Potentially making it extra special, whether it were to happen tonight or later this week during the dad’s trip, is the presence of his father — a welder who worked long hours of hard labour and didn’t always get to see John play as a kid — watching from the stands.