Blackhawks' captain won't return until he's 100 percent
When Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews talks, you listen.
And when you listen you realize how lucky this town is to not only have one of the most competitive players in the game, but one of the smartest as well.
Toews, who has been out of the lineup since Feb. 19 with a concussion — not his first by the way — spoke Friday for the first time since suffering the injury.
The 23-year-old skated on his own Thursday and followed that by participating in Friday's morning skate.
“I feel like I've been off the ice doing nothing for three weeks,” Toews said. “But considering the last two days on the ice, I feel a lot better than I thought I would, so I'm pretty positive about that.”
The thing about Toews is you know the competitor in him wants to get out on the ice right now to help secure a playoff spot, but the smart side realizes rushing back might not be the best plan.
And without a doubt, it tears at him.
“I sit here and watch the guys play and I feel like I could easily be out there,” said Toews, who missed his ninth consecutive game Friday night, a 4-3 win over the Rangers. “It takes a lot of discipline (not to rush back) right now since you're back on the ice and you want to start playing right away.”
The competitor in him already went down that road, playing in a few more games after the initial injury despite not feeling quite right.
“Yeah, there were a couple of games there on the road trip,” Toews admitted. “I think it was so minor at first that it took some time to realize that it might be more serious.
“When it comes down to that, you hate to admit it to yourself, but you see so many guys in the league dealing with that right now and you don't want to be one of those guys.”
The Hawks didn't need Toews' help Friday as they rallied back in a wild third period behind goals from Patrick Sharp, Johnny Oduya and Patrick Kane to edge the New York Rangers 4-3 at the United Center.
“Huge win,” Kane said. “These points are huge, especially against a team like that — one of the best teams in the league.”
The captain was on hand to watch the thriller and congratulate his mates just like he will do ... until he's fully healed.
“I'll try to be smart about it and make sure that when I'm ready to play I'll be 100 percent and I can do it without thinking about it at all,” he said.
It'll be worth the wait.
mspellman@dailyherald.com