Islanders' Tavares credits Boychuk for team's hot start

The New York Islanders went about their business over the last few seasons, quietly laying the foundation for a contender. 

But to truly bang down the door, well, that requires a little noise.

General manager Garth Snow provided the uproar just days before the puck dropped on the season when he acquired a pair of Stanley Cup-winning defensemen in Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk. 

But one in particular has been making the difference, and drawing admiration from captain John Tavares.

"Johnny (Boychuk) is quite the character. He's an awesome guy, and he's really fit the team tremendously," Tavares said while speaking with reporters in Columbus. "I think it's no secret on the ice what he brings, but certainly in the locker room (too). He's such a happy-go-lucky guy with a smile on his face, win or lose, and I think that attitude has been good for us seeing a guy that's been through a whole lot with some pretty good teams. 

"He's accomplished, obviously, what we wanted to do, and he can bring some of that to the group. You can certainly see that rub off on some of the other guys."

Boychuk owns the tried-and-true veteran savvy aspiring teams require. And while leadership can sometimes fall on deaf ears, Boychuk's mere presence has sufficed in the Islanders' room.  

"Sometimes it's not even really what he says. I remember a couple of times earlier in the year where we lost two or three in a row, and you just see his attitude and his focus," Tavares said.

"It doesn't change. There's no panic, or real nervousness, or hesitation in his game. It's just the same."

Yet, everything has changed on Long Island.