"When defenceman Tyler Myers contributed a goal and three assists in the Buffalo Sabres 5-3 win over Dallas on Wednesday, it thrust him squarely into the NHL's rookie the year debate along with Colorado's Matt Duchene.

Across New York state, in Uniondale, the Islanders' John Tavares once found himself in the same company, but a two-month slump has essentially taken the former first-overall pick out of the discussion, despite a strong showing in the his first 30 games of the season.

Tavares, who faces the Leafs here tonight, is aware of the public's perception. He's been under a microscope since he was 13, so any opinion of significance rarely escapes his attention.

"It's hard to ignore, people talk about it all the time," said Tavares before his Islanders beat New Jersey 4-2 on Saturday night. "But I have to work at it to become the player I want to be. That's key for me and if I don't have a great year it's not the end of the world. So far, I think it's been pretty successful. There's been ups and downs ... but you think about playing at this level, I'm 19 years old and I have to remind myself that some things (slumps) are going to happen.""