Toews keeps his head up ... and Blackhawks on track
A little more than midway through the third period, his team ahead by only a goal, Jonathan Toews took a pass from Andrew Ladd inside the Colorado blue line.
In a perfect spot to fire the puck, Toews took the briefest of glances at the net and quickly dished off to Patrick Sharp, who was wide open and cruising down the slot.
Sharp buried it for a 2-goal Blackhawks lead, and that was it for the Avs, as the Hawks piled on for a 6-2 victory at the United Center.
"That tells you everything you need to know about him as a player,'' Sharp said of Toews. "He's right there with a chance to score, but it's the third period and he makes the unselfish play.''
Hardly surprising for Toews, except that he's now 12 games into his sophomore season and he's yet to light the lamp.
"That why he's our captain,'' said Sharp, who had a pair himself and is sitting on a whopping 9 for the season. "He has to answer questions every day about it and he makes that play. That's him.''
While the Hawks played another solid game and there were celebrations all around after the victory, Toews did not find a postgame press gathering at his locker, as there was for Sharp, Troy Brouwer (first career goal) and Andrew Ladd (2 goals).
Only one member of the media even approached Toews, wondering if he didn't feel just the least bit lonely.
"You know, honestly, I don't feel left out at all,'' Toews told me, managing a smile. "We're all chipping in right now and playing a good team game.
"We've got a good break here (with five days) to re-energize and build on this.''
The Hawks have won three straight and five of seven, and they've done it, obviously, without Toews scoring.
But he has been terrific defensively, he screened goalie Peter Budaj on Cam Barker's goal, he made the great pass to Sharp, and he's getting chances.
They're just not going in.
"It goes that way sometimes, but I don't feel like I'm squeezing the stick,'' Toews said. "It's not going my way, but I'm trying not to play too urgent out there and just let it happen.
"I know they're going to come, so I'm not worried about it.''
Toews is a tremendous individual, with superior character, focused only on the front of the jersey, which is why he was destined to be the team captain before he even donned the uniform.
Still, after scoring 24 goals in 64 games as a rookie and hearing forecasts of 30 or 40 this year, he'd only be human if he were a tad frustrated.
"I know exactly what he's going through, and I feel for him,'' Sharp said. "I went through a 26-game streak like that right after I got traded here (from Philadelphia).
"The difference between him and me is he's not letting it affect his game. He's still playing great hockey and doing all the right things out there.''
If Toews is not a No. 1 center yet, he'll certainly be someday soon. In the meantime, he could use a little help, and if the Hawks had another top center to take some heat off him, teams wouldn't be able to focus so much attention on one player. And that's at least part of the reason he hasn't scored.
There's simply less room than he had a year ago.
"But he's gonna get his goals. I'm sure of that,'' Sharp said. "At the end of the year, he'll be among our scoring leaders and we'll look back on this and shake our heads.''
No one's looking back right now as the Hawks (6-3-3) are only looking at finishing up the homestand strong before the often-disastrous circus trip.
"We heard all summer about how good we were,'' Sharp said. "It feels good to stop talking about it and win some hockey games.''
That winning will feel even better, and with a load lifted off their shoulders when the captain can net one.
"I'm OK. I really am,'' Toews said with a grin. "We're winning hockey games and that's the only thing on my mind. Nothing else.''
That's why, as Sharp said, he's the captain.
brozner@dailyherald.com