EDMONTON—When you ask a question, John Tavares looks right at you like he wants to listen, actually listen, rather than gloss over it. Not everybody does that. Tavares has been asked a lot of questions over the years, as Canadian hockey prodigies are; at some point, through trial and error, that’s the protocol he decided on. One step at a time. Focus.

Ask him about the playoffs — about the much-discussed fact that the team he joined because of its potential to chase a Stanley Cup sits tied for fourth in the NHL, and is slated to play the second-best team in the NHL, the Boston Bruins — and Tavares listens, and he replies in the most polite, non-trouble-causing way he can.

“Yeah, it’s odd,” he said, after compiling his 38th goal and three points as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Edmonton 3-2 on Saturday for their sixth win in eight games. “It’s odd.”

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He didn’t want to seem to be complaining, though, so he talks about how if you want to be great you have to play great teams and great players along the way. He’s right, of course, about all of it. After their Western Canada swing, Toronto will not travel west of Nashville the rest of the way, and starting with Tampa on Monday the stretch run is here, and Boston waits at the end of it. And the only way to deal with that, of course, is to do what Tavares does every day: keep getting ready.

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“Yeah, I think we have a lot to play for. I think there’s no question about that,” says Tavares. “And for us, it’s continuing to realize what’s going to be our formula and fine-tune that and just keep getting better at it.

“And then when other teams do generate momentum or create chances it’s about being able to respond, and grab that back. And we’ve done some good things with that all year. But I think you want to continue fine-tuning, and want to keep being on your toes. You never want to be satisfied with where you’re at, knowing how hard playoff hockey is.”

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Tavares remains the roster’s best example of relentless process: from his focus on nutrition and fitness and details to the monk-like way he tapes his sticks. Auston Matthews or William Nylander or even Mitch Marner might drift here or there, a little or a lot, as the endless voyage of the season rolls on.

Tavares doesn’t always produce, but he gives the same, every day. He’s hot now: 13 points in his last nine games, and eight in four since his unpleasant homecoming on Long Island. But all season the line of Tavares and Marner and Zach Hyman has eaten the toughest matchups at home, and Tavares leads Leafs forwards in points per 60 minutes played at five-on-five, and trails only Tyler Ennis in five-on-five goals per 60, too. Tavares counts every mile marker, and keeps his eyes on the road.

“I knew exactly what we were getting from the start,” says centre Nazem Kadri. “I knew what type of person and player Johnny was, and I think he’s just been greatness since an early age. So he’s taken on a lot of responsibility, especially early on, in years I think he felt he had to mature maybe a little faster than he was maybe supposed to. (That) he’s been great is an understatement for this group.”

“I think he’s a real message to everybody on our team that when you prepare well and you do it right every day, you tend to get lucky every game,” says head coach Mike Babcock. “If you don’t do it right, you’re hit and miss. That’s why it’s so important for our young people to be around him and just see how he prepares and how he works and how diligent he is and how hard he competes, and in the end you’re rewarded.”

Tavares knows Boston has gone 19 games with at least one point; he lauds the way they play, their professionalism, their focus.

“But I love our youth, our enthusiasm, our skill, the type of tenacity we play with, and the ability to just be quick and be hard to defend,” says Tavares. “For us, we want to worry mostly about what we’ve got here, and we can keep being at our best, control what we can control, just keep getting prepared and worry one day at a time. Keep trying to hone what we’re doing.”

He is counting mile markers, trying to control what he can control. After his time with the Islanders, he knows how quickly the playoffs can end. So he prepares every day for the next one, and it shows. The Leafs need to, too.

“I think we feel good,” says defenceman Morgan Rielly. “Not satisfied, but I think it’s important that we take those games as opportunities to get better and improve and work towards being the team we want to be. And I think that we’re getting there. I think if you look at the way our goalie’s playing, if you look at the way Johnny’s playing, I think you can really tell that there’s guys that are at that point where it’s playoffs and we’re trying to amp it up. And that’s good. I think that’s what we need.”

Sixty-eight games done, 14 to go. Last season, the Leafs seemed surprised that the playoffs had begun. John Tavares, among others, would prefer that not happen again.