On schedule, Toews starting to heat up
CALGARY, Alberta — Jonathan Toews is out to prove again it doesn't matter how you start but how you finish.
After a third straight slow start personally, Toews is beginning to heat up, and maybe too are the Blackhawks.
Toews' hat trick in Wednesday's 5-0 victory at Edmonton continues his string of strong games that started with a 4-point night in Atlanta.
“When Johnny gets going and on a roll, I don't want to say streaky, but he can score in bunches,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said.
Toews has had three huge games in a row with the Hawks taking 5 of 6 points.
While Toews didn't score in Saturday's shootout loss at Nashville, he played almost 25 minutes and won 17 of 27 faceoffs.
He was held off the score sheet in Sunday's win over Anaheim but had 3 hits, 3 takeaways, 2 blocked shots and won 10 of 15 faceoffs.
It was before the games last weekend that Quenneville suggested Toews quit putting so much of the burden for the team's early struggles on his shoulders as captain and share the responsibilities with the other leaders.
“It's tough to measure and say that's exactly it, but he's capable of dominating a lot of games, and when he gets hot he can score at a great rate,” Quenneville said. “I don't know if you can equate the two, but certainly we like the way he's playing.”
Toews is no stranger to slow starts himself, but what has mattered is the finish.
ŸIn 2008-09 he went the first 12 games without a goal before finishing with career bests of 34 goals and 69 points.
ŸLast season Toews had 2 goals in the first 14 games but wound up the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in the playoffs as the Hawks won the Stanley Cup.
ŸThis season he had 3 goals in the first 15 games.
Lately the line of Toews, Patrick Kane and Viktor Stalberg has been the Hawks' most dangerous.
“A lot of these games I've been getting quite a few chances,” Toews said. “It's a matter of time before Kaner and Stalberg start getting frustrated with me because it hasn't been going in for me, but you get a couple lucky breaks and it gives you confidence. You keep working hard for those scoring chances and hopefully they keep going in.
“I feel like I've been playing good hockey, but it's never fun and it's never reassuring when you don't see a lot of pucks go in and some of these goals that you could be scoring could make a difference in some of these tight games we've been losing.”
Toews and Kane have been making more of a difference, which is what the Hawks have been waiting to happen.
“That line has been really good,” Quenneville said.
“Myself and Tazer have played together for a while now so we should have some kind of chemistry,” Kane said. “It seems like any time we're kind of put together we have good games and are in their zone a lot.
“We're still trying to get even more chemistry with (Stalberg); you just keep talking to him and keep reiterating some plays we think we can make successful. He wants to be a good player and he wants to play in that position and I think he's going to be even better for us when he starts scoring goals and capitalizing on his chances.”