Welcome Back Jonathan Toews and Ben Eager!
Normally I don’t put a lot of stock in game stats, but in comparing the last two Blackhawks games, statistics have a lot to say. Clearly the Blackhawks were missing their captain.
Perhaps no one missed Toews more than Cristobal Huet. In the November 5 game against the Phoenix Coyotes, Cristobal Huet allowed 3 goals with a save percentage of .870. In the November 9 game against the Los Angeles Kings, Huet allowed 1 goal with a save percentage of .944. What’s the difference? Well, it has to be Jonathan Toews and Ben Eager who both returned to the ice November 9 after a 6- and 13-game absence, respectively. For his 19 minutes on ice, Toews scored one power-play goal and was on the ice for the other power-play goal effectively illustrating what the problem with the power-play unit had been during his 6-game absence. Likewise, Ben Eager’s physical presence alone seemed to restore the Hawks’ confidence, though he was only on the ice for a little over 8 minutes.
Can there now be any more questioning of Jonathan Toews — his maturity, his stamina, his consistency, the way he takes care of his team, and his prowess? Can there now be any doubt that Ben Eager is the enforcer? Welcome back boys!