In previous eras, the NHL had leaders like Yvon Cournoyer, Bobby Clarke and Henri Richard. Then it was Denis Potvin and Bob Gainey. The pre-lockout era had Scott Stevens, Mark Messier and Steve Yzerman. The new era finally has its true leader: Jonathan Toews.
Watching Toews in these playoffs was like watching a younger, faster version of the 1998 Yzerman (right down to the No. 19). And the same came through during Canada's Gold Medal run at the Olympics. If any player truly gets it, it is Toews. Named the captain of the Blackhawks at age 19, at 22 he is a Stanley Cup champion and a leader who truly gets it.
Did you see the expression on his face when he was presented the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP? It didn't even phase him, like he didn't care at all. The look screamed, "let's get this out of the way so I can lift the trophy I care about." When he skated away with the Conn Smythe, he pointed at teammates as if to say they were just as valuable as he was, then went to the bench to find someone to hand it off to for safe-keeping. He had a more important trophy in mind--the Stanley Cup. And when he got to touch that, his smile was wider than Lindsay Lohan's vagina. (Sophomoric jokes like that are why I could never be the leader Toews is.)
In the pre-lockout era, hockey fans came to really, really admire Yzerman because he completely changed his game to become a champion. As the Red Wings gradually grew more talented in the second half of his career, he evolved from a center who once scored 155 points in a season into a gritty two-way player who won every key faceoff, blocked shots, killed penalties while maintaining a high standard of offensive play. Toews is already that. No, Toews probably won't ever have a 155-point season but then, Yzerman didn't win the Stanley Cup at age 22 either.
As the Stanley Cup Final progressed, Chicago's top line of Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien was shutdown for the first three games and two periods by the sass, snarl and slashes of Chris Pronger. Kane and Byfuglien were useless. Toews made himself useful, contributing in other ways, like on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle (Toews dominating counterpart Mike Richards on draws). Joel Quenneville finally made the move to shuffle his lines in the third period of Game 4, breaking up Toews, Kane and Byfuglien. The shuffle did plenty to improve the offensive situations for Kane and Byfuglien and both capitalized. Toews was forced to play less of an offensive role and in doing so, played his best of the series.
Kane may be the most physically gifted player on the Blackhawks and Byfuglien is the most physical. Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell spring their whole team with their puck-moving ability. But Toews is their best player, their do-everything guy who does it all at a high level. The reason the Penguins are what they are is because of the talent and selfless persona of Sidney Crosby and he, first and foremost, is why we should all expect Pittsburgh to contend for the next decade. Toews is the equivalent in Chicago. The Blackhawks are a young team and their young leader will make sure they maintain their focus and remain a contender for the next decade.
The dream matchup for the marketers and television executives is Pittsburgh-Washington so that they can see Crosby battle Alex Ovechkin. Honestly, I think the NHL's top matchup over the next decade may well be Crosby and Toews. Let's hope they get to face each other in a few Stanley Cup Final series along the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment