Toews not one to worry about, says Quenneville
The last thing Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville ever has to worry about is Jonathan Toews.
So what if Toews has proved to be a slow starter in his brief NHL career. A lot of times how you finish is more important than how you start.
Toews has 1 goal in the Hawks' first four games, but aside from that his last two games have been ordinary when you consider these are Toews standards we're talking about.
It was a turnover in the neutral zone by Toews that led to Boston's tying goal in the third period Saturday.
“Johnny, if you look back over the last couple or three years, it seems like the beginning of the year … and he just seems to get better and better and better,” Quenneville said. “This is year four and it's been exactly like that. But I don't think we have to worry about him.”
Last season Toews scored 1 goal in his first nine games after going the first seven games without scoring in 2009-10. Three years ago, his second season in the league, he didn't score a goal for the first 12 games.
Despite his slow start last season, Toews went on to finish with 32 goals and a career- best 76 points and was an MVP candidate in the eyes of many.
“Each and every year he's just progressed to different levels and the very elite level of the game,” Quenneville said. “The second part of the year last year he was as good as anybody in the game.”
The first line of Toews, Patrick Sharp and Andrew Brunette hasn't clicked as of yet, particularly 5-on-5, but nobody is ready to push any panic buttons.
“You could talk about the power play, you could talk about that line … that's the last thing we're worried about,” Patrick Kane said. “We know they're going to produce and we know they're going to get chances. It's just a matter of time with those guys.
“Sharpie was coming off injury, and Brunette is with a new team. I'm sure they're trying to figure each other out still. They'll be fine.”
Quenneville likes the way the lines stack up now, particularly if Marian Hossa is healthy enough to play Tuesday against Phoenix on the second line with Kane and Daniel Carcillo.
He's not ready to pull the plug on Toews, Sharp and Brunette as a unit.
“It's been all right,” Quenneville said. “They've been in the offensive zone a lot. They haven't cashed in their chips 5-on-5, but they're had a lot of puck-possession time and they've been in the offensive zone a lot. But I still think there's more there across.”
The Hawks are 2-1-1 as they head out for road games against the Coyotes and the Avalanche and building momentum, according to Toews.
“I like where we are as a team,” Toews said. “I think we've gotten better every single game and improved on certain things.
“The loss the other night (to Boston) was based on a few mistakes that we made in the third period. I don't think we let up at all with our effort or our speed. We kind of gave them the puck a few times in areas we don't want to.”