Only 20, Toews has carried the load with amazing ease

After months of hinting that it was imminent, former Blackhawks coach Denis Savard finally pulled the trigger last July:

"Jonathan Toews is our captain," Savard announced, thus making the 20-year-old Toews the third youngest captain in the history of the National Hockey League.

Pretty elite company to be sure, but Savard wasn't concerned. He knew what he had in the former first-round draft pick out of North Dakota.

He knew he had a kid with a nonstop motor on the ice, with maturity beyond his years, with a hockey IQ that was off the charts, and with competitiveness and drive that screamed natural-born leader.

Sure he was young, but nothing seemed to faze this kid.

Then, only four games into this season, Savard was fired. A dozen games into the year, Toews was still searching for his first goal.

If he wanted an early test for his sophomore season, he sure got one.

But to no one's surprise, Toews hung in there during the dark days. He eventually found his scoring touch, and tonight he will lead his Blackhawks onto the ice for their first playoff game since 2002 as the team's leading goal scorer with 34.

"Not so bad," Toews said of his first season sporting the 'C' on his sweater. "You can never predict exactly what types of things you're going to have to face. Obviously the first part of the season was tough, and I put a lot of pressure on myself and things kind of backfired as far as producing goals and points, and I wasn't playing like I wanted to be, but it's not all about that.

"I stayed positive and knew that I was still contributing, still doing good things for the team, and it all kind of worked out. The guys were great; they made the job easier for me."

So did getting off the schneid by scoring that first goal against Calgary on Nov. 9 at the United Center.

"He had a lot of pressure on him to lead the way, and for a 20-year-old that's a lot to ask," said Hawks winger Andrew Ladd, who as a rookie helped lead Carolina to a Stanley Cup in 2006. "I don't know if there's anyone else who could've handled it way he did with the tough start, but he battled through that. He had 25 goals in his last 45 games.

"When it really counted, he stepped up and led the way."

And that's part of what separates the good captains from the rest, as former Hawk and current radio analyst Troy Murray learned after playing with three of the best.

"I had the opportunity over the years to play with some great captains - Darryl Sutter, Dirk Graham - they were both guys who would stand up and not be afraid to be heard inside the locker room," Murray said. "Then I had a chance to play with a guy like Joe Sakic, and in a lot of ways I look at a guy like Jonathan as a Joe Sakic.

"He doesn't say a whole lot. But sometimes when a captain starts talking too much it falls on deaf ears. At the right time at the right point, though, you have to step up and say something, and I think that's what Jonathan has done here as a first-year captain."

As hard as it is to imagine the always polite and respectful Toews going off on occasion in the locker room, believe it. It's happened.

"Yeah, he'll do that," Ladd said. "It's his personality to speak his mind."

And it doesn't matter that when he does so it's aimed at players no doubt older than him.

"He has respect in this room," Ladd said. "His work ethic and his approach to the game, when you have that, I don't think age matters."

"He's obviously getting more comfortable with his role, which is good to see," said road roommate and fellow sophomore Patrick Kane. "Obviously coming in as a young kid and to give him the captaincy in his second year might be a little tough on him, but he's really stepped up on and off the ice, which is really good to see.

"He's done a great job."

One that Toews, who will celebrate his 21st birthday in a few weeks, will be manning for many years to come.

"It's been a great learning experience," he said, "hopefully we keep going down that same road."

Anyone have any doubts?

Blackhawks vs. Calgary Flames at the United Center, 7:30 p.m.

TV: Comcast SportsNet

Radio: WGN 720-AM

At a glance: The best-of-seven series could come down to goalies Nikolai Khabibulin and Miikka Kiprusoff, and which team's struggling power play comes to life. The Hawks won the season series 4-0, but that means nothing now. Patrick Sharp is expected to play for the Hawks while the Flames likely will be missing injured defensemen Robyn Regehr (knee) and Cory Sarich (foot).

Next: Game 2 of the series at the United Center, 8 p.m. Saturday.