Ahead of Monday’s game against Minnesota, John Tavares discussed Scott Laughton’s “glue guy” characteristics, the red-hot play of Auston Matthews, and the challenge of a condensed schedule ahead of the Olympic break.

What kind of chemistry do you think there will be between you and Scott Laughton on the same line tonight?

Tavares: We always laugh about the Oakville connection. He is a heck of a competitor. You just love the way he competes.

He has a lot more playmaking offense than a lot of people give him credit for. He plays a hard-nosed game and does a lot of the little things really well, but he has soft hands and a really good understanding of the game. You see it a lot when he gets in alone on a breakaway, with his ability to finish and how smooth he is.

You also have to love the personality and attitude that he has. He obviously plays a major role for us. He does so many little things well. He is just the life of the locker room. Any time you play with a guy like him, it is a lot of fun.

Laughton was giving it to some Winnipeg fans at the buzzer. How would you describe his personality?

Tavares: That is just who he is. He always has something up his sleeve. It is hard to look at him with a straight face because you just know there is something going on in the back of his mind; he is trying to get one up on someone.

He builds the bonds in here. He is an amazing guy with amazing energy. He is just a funny dude who competes like hell. We love him in here.

Scott Laughton on his gesture to the Jets fan

Laughton: I was pretty fired up at the end of the game with that penalty. I caught out of the corner of my eye that he was kind of giving it to me. I was just hoping for a nice overtime winner there so I could get him back. I stayed in that spot and made sure I was in a good position.

When Auston Matthews gets rolling like he is right now, what does it do for the whole team?

Tavares: He is a special player. Certainly, with what he can do not only with goal-scoring but dominating play and doing so many things well, it drives the team in so many facets, whether it is offensively or defensively. With his will to compete, to find his way to results, and to continue to grind things out, he is such a driver. He does so many things well, and he is obviously a special finisher. He is elite with what he can do with the puck and how he can put it in the back of the net. We are really lucky to have him, and he is playing great. Good to see him rolling as he is.

How much has the really condensed schedule taken a toll on the team?

Tavares: This month has been crazy, with 16 games. We don’t have two days between games until the break. It is a lot, but you have to be excited about the challenge and look forward to what it brings and how best to approach it. The things you do before and after a game can go a long way as far as doing everything you can to set yourself up for success.

It was a lot of travel last week, a lot of games, and a lot of tough opponents. We did a fairly good job, so we’ve talked about coming home and still having that edge we need to have for the next five. They’re important, starting today.

It is a challenge, but everyone is going through it at some point. It is just a part of the year when you have the Olympics and the circumstances around them. We are looking forward to playing every other day, and then we will have some time to recover in a few weeks.

How difficult is it to try to contain a threat like Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes?

Tavares: He is as dynamic and shifty as anyone on the backend. As best you can, you are trying to keep him out of the middle of the ice. He has the ability to make you miss and create space, plus his hockey sense and passing ability, and his shot has really improved over the years — even his abiltiy to score from distance. He is a major factor for them and one of the top defensemen in the game. You are trying to keep him out of the middle of the ice, and — as best you can — you try to keep the puck out of his hands.

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