Chicago Blackhawks Edition: Coyotes Captions

  “Ouch! I think I pulled something scoring that goal.” –Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks center

It’s likely that the Arizona Coyotes wouldn’t have shed too many tears had Toews truly pulled something to get him off the ice.

His first period bullet of a shot went past a screened Mike Smith before Smith even knew what happened — something the Coyotes should have been expecting. The Blackhawks captain has 14 goals and 28 assists this season, putting him on pace for just under a point per game.

That’s tough enough for any team to stop — and the young Coyotes defense had no chance. His plus-minus rating of +16 leads his team, and his 209 career NHL goals put him slightly ahead of his teammate Patrick Kane — who scored his 200th goal in this game as well. The Blackhawks have two championships of late, largely due to these two skaters — who, coincidentally, are first and second on the team in ATOI for forwards.

It would be more than enriching to see the Coyotes possess as player of Toews’ strong abilities — but then again, players like him don’t come around that often.