Struggling Maple Leafs captain Tavares looking to 'create more' in 1st-round series

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos finally broke through for his team.

The Maple Leafs are still waiting for their leader to do the same.

John Tavares has yet to register a point at 5-on-5 in Toronto's first-round playoff series with Tampa Bay, which sits tied 2-2 following Sunday's 7-3 blowout loss at the hands of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions at Amalie Arena.

Not including last spring's opener against the Montreal Canadiens when he suffered a devastating injury following a scary collision that ruled him out for the rest of the Original Six matchup, the 31-year-old has one goal in his last seven post-season games.

Tavares, with three more seasons left on a contract that carries an $11-million US salary cap hit, has two assists against the Lightning — one on a power play and another with the teams playing 4-on-4 when Sunday's contest was out of reach — through four games.

"I haven't been able to produce offensively as I'd like," he said in the wake of that ugly defeat. "I would still like to create more."

The centre has done his job in the faceoff circle — he won 10 of 11 draws on Sunday — and has been a contributor in Tampa's zone once Toronto gets its cycle going.

But a regular-season issue has continued into the playoffs after Tavares finished sixth on the Leafs with 39 even-strength points (15 goals, 24 assists) in 2021-22.

WATCH l Maple Leafs fall to Lightning in Game 4:

Stamkos, who played minor hockey with his opposite No. 91 as a kid, scored his first goal of these playoffs a minute into Sunday to spark his team.

And with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner smothered at 5-on-5 in Games 3 and 4 when Tampa had the last change and could roll out Anthony Cirelli's line and Victor Hedman on the