"When Matt Moulson looks at housemate John Tavares, he doesn't see a golden child struggling to grasp the stardom being shovelled towards him. He sees a kid he has known for years who remains singularly driven to being among the best, and soon will be in the National Hockey League.

Tuesday provided a pretty good preview. Tavares had five points in the New York Islanders' 5-2 reality check against the Vancouver Canucks.

It was his first NHL game in Vancouver. So, how do you like him so far?

"I sure hoped it was coming," Tavares said after the best night of his rookie season. "It's nice when everything starts to click, starts to go in. It feels good. I knew I proved myself early on in the year offensively. Overall, I think my game has come a long way.""