Hawks' Toews red-hot with 6 points in 3 games
SUNRISE, Fla. - When Patrick Sharp went down with a knee injury in the first period of Saturday's game against Dallas, it gave Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville a perfect opportunity to reunite Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane as linemates.
Toews had been skating with Sharp and hadn't been with Kane regularly since early in the season, but they have quickly rediscovered the chemistry that made their line special last season.
Toews and Kane have combined for 4 goals and 7 assists in the last two games, both Hawks victories.
"I kind of missed playing with him," Kane said.
Anyone would love to be playing with the red-hot Toews right now. He has had back-to-back 3-point games, including Tuesday's 5-3 win at Tampa Bay when he scored twice to help bring the Hawks back from a 3-1 deficit.
Toews went the first 12 games of the season without a goal, but he now has reached 20 for the second year in a row.
"I think Johnny has been getting better all year long," Quenneville said. "He's steadily gotten better and better and better, game in and game out. I've been very happy with his progress."
As tough as Toews found it to score in October, the puck is bouncing his way now. His first goal Tuesday came from behind the net off the skate of Lightning defenseman Lukas Krajicek. The power-play goal in the final minute of the second period made it 3-2 and ignited the Hawks' comeback.
"I think before, with Sharpie and I, we felt we were playing very well together and getting a lot of chances and not a whole lot was going in for us," Toews said. "Now with Kaner and (Troy) Brouwer, it seems like everything seems to be bouncing off us and going in.
"We'll take those bounces and hopefully we keep playing this way and getting those chances because the more chances you get the more you're going to score."
Kane's goal at Tampa Bay was just his second in 22 games. Kane finally appears to be back to form after battling through an ankle injury suffered in late December that limited his mobility and made him less dangerous in the offensive end.
"I'm just trying to play with more confidence," he said. "It's one of those things where you don't want to put all excuse on the ankle, but it's definitely starting to feel better. When I'm out there now it's just maybe once in the past three games that I've really tweaked it.
"It feels really good now. I feel like I'm back to myself, moving in and out and trying to make plays."
Quenneville hopes the goal Tuesday, a wicked wrist shot from between the circles, starts Kane on a hot streak the other way.
"He likes to score," Quenneville said. "The top guys love it; that's their bread and butter. That's the type of goal he scored earlier in the year.
"It's been dry a little bit lately, but that line has been generating a lot and now that they're scoring maybe they'll have a little more patience and confidence in those areas."
Blackhawks vs. Florida Panthers at the BankAtlantic Center, 6:30 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WGN 720-AM
At a glance: The Panthers, once buried in the Eastern Conference standings, are in a playoff spot today at 29-20-8. They are coming off a 4-0 win over New Jersey on Tuesday, their NHL-leading eighth shutout of the season. Goalie Tomas Vokoun has 5 shutouts and has started the last seven games. The Panthers are 26th on the power play, however.
Next: Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center, 1 p.m. Saturday
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