Greg M. Cooper – USA Today Sports
Patrick Kane won the Conn Smythe Trophy given to the MVP of the postseason. Corey Crawford was one of the top two goaltenders in the entire playoffs. But we cannot discredit the effort that the Chicago Blackhawks Captain put forward. Jonathan Toews was a key contributor to the Blackhawks winning their second Stanley Cup in the past four years.
Toews was extremely quiet through the first three games of the series. With the Hawks down 2-1 heading into game four against the Boston Bruins, Toews started stepping up the way all of the greats do. He notched a goal in Game 4, two assists in Game 5 and a goal and an assist in the series clincher.
In addition, Toews suffered an upper body injury that forced him to sit the final period of Game 5. He was able to put aside the pain and put together his most complete game of the series in Game 6. As a captain he led by example and made many plays to set up his teammates, with 11 assists throughout the entire postseason.
Toews has now won two Stanley Cups at the age of 25. With a young core of Toews, Kane, Crawford, Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland all ages 28 and under, the Blackhawks could potentially be good for a very long time.
So what did Jonathan Toews mean to the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup win? While the numbers weren’t as flashy as Kane and Crawford, his guts and grit to play through an injury and captain this team was enough to prove just how important he is.
Zach Slotter is a writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @zslot6, Like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.
