Jonathan Toews said after being selected the first star of tonight's game against the Phoenix Coyotes that, since the All-Star break, it feels like the Blackhawks are in the playoffs.
This is due to its need to gain points just to get into the playoffs. He certainly helped Chicago gain two points in its shootout win over the Coyotes, scoring two goals and tallying the only score in the shootout.
But if the Blackhawks find their way back to the playoffs this year, more credit will be given to the play of goaltender Corey Crawford.
As the Hawks went deeper into the playoffs last year, they needed rookie goalie Antti Niemi to turn into a Vezina Trophy winner on occasion. And to his credit, he answered the demand.
With Niemi departing for San Jose, Chicago has needed Crawford to step up and come up big in key situations. And like his predecessor, he has gone above and beyond the line of duty.
Last week against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he stopped all of the Penguins' shots in a shootout win, as Patrick Kane scored the only shootout goal for the Blackhawks.
Tonight against Phoenix, he did the same thing to help Chicago gain two critical points. That was after making two spectacular saves to send the game to overtime in the first place.
With tonight's win, the Blackhawks moved to the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference, only four points behind the fourth-place Coyotes.
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