Toews joins Kane in all-star lineup; Crawford snubbed
Jonathan Toews is going to Nashville.
Corey Crawford? He's staying home.
The NHL announced its all-star teams Wednesday, and Toews, the Blackhawks' captain, will be joining Patrick Kane as the only two representatives from Chicago.
Crawford, who boasts a league-high six shutouts and a .925 save percentage, was beaten out by Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk (.921) and Pekka Rinne (.907). Rinne's number ranks 27th in the league going into Wednesday's games among goalies with at least 20 starts.
"Some disappointments around the league. … He's certainly deserving of it," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said of Crawford. "But sometimes that's the deal."
The Central Division squad, captained by Kane, will take on the Pacific Division in a 3-on-3 game on Jan. 31 that lasts 20 minutes. The winner will play for $1 million against the Metropolitan vs. Atlantic winner.
Quenneville said that if an extra player on the host team gets voted in, "there's nothing wrong with that." Nashville, despite a middling 19-14-7 record, ended up with three players. In addition to Rinne, defensemen Roman Josi and Shea Weber were selected. The other defenseman is Winnipeg's Dustin Byfuglien.
The other forwards are Dallas' Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, St. Louis' Vladimir Tarasenko and Colorado's Matt Duchene.
Crawford's omission may stem from a lack of respect among his peers, something Quenneville said the Hawks can't control.
"I know Corey does a great job for our team and his teammates," Quenneville said. "Giving your team a chance to win game in, game out, (he's) as good as there is in the business."
Although he has 14 goals and 12 assists, Toews may not have been a slam-dunk selection. Winnipeg's Blake Wheeler (40 points), St. Louis' Alexander Steen (37), Dallas' Patrick Sharp (35) and Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon (33) are among those who are having much better seasons - statistically, anyway - than Toews.
Quenneville, of course, spoke highly of his captain.
"I think Johnny is an amazing player," Quenneville said. "He shows up every shift. Every game's important. He's relentless in what he can do, or what he tries to do, for his teammates to win every single night.
"He's a special player. We're fortunate to have him."
Slap shots:
Artem Anisimov's assist on Artemi Panarin's first-period goal Wednesday against Pittsburgh broke a 15-game drought in that category. … Patrick Kane, who had an assist Wednesday, is on a five-game point streak in which he has 2 goals and 8 assists.