After a career-worst season in 2017-18, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews is starting the 2018-19 season off with a bang.
The Chicago Blackhawks had their worst season in over a decade in 2017-18. They picked up just 76 points, their lowest total since the 2006-07 season. That point total was also the lowest of the Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane era, as neither was on the team during that season.
Toews, in particular, struggled mightily. He accumulated 52 points, his lowest total in a full season. Toews also scored just 20 goals, the lowest of his career in any season, including the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season. His plus-minus rating was in the red for the first time in his career.
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The Blackhawks entered the 2018-19 season as a team desperately needing to bounce back. Thus far, they have won their first two games in overtime. Toews has been a huge reason for their success.
In two games this season, he already has four goals and an assist for five points. Three of those four goals came against the St. Louis Blues, a team Toews loves to play against. In 54 career games against them, he has 42 points.
Toews has also been generating offense at an impressive rate, albeit in a small sample size. His 3.50 shots per game through the first two games of the 2018-19 season is the highest rate of his career. Toews has been on the ice for six Blackhawks goals. Meanwhile, his team has allowed just one goal against with him on the ice.
This is the kind of performance the Blackhawks need from Toews. Much like last season, they haven’t gotten much from their third and fourth forward lines. Through two games, David Kampf and Marcus Kruger are their only bottom six forwards with a point.
The Blackhawks need their best guys to be their best guys. So far, that has been the case. Patrick Kane led the way in their season opener against the Ottawa Senators, picking up the game-winning goal in overtime and notching an assist on Brent Seabrook‘s game-tying goal in the third period. Toews got a goal and an assist as well.
Without star goaltender Corey Crawford, the Blackhawks need their captain to lead now more than ever. So far, that’s what Toews has been doing.