A true NHL superstar steps up in high-pressure situations to make a difference, and also makes his teammates better. Chicago's Jonathan Toews was doing both those things in Game 3 against Nashville Sunday with a dazzling goal and slick assist.
If it's playoff time, it's time for Jonathan Toews to shine. The Blackhawks star proved that yet again Sunday in Game 3 of his team's first-round series against Nashville, scoring Chicago's second goal of the day and chipping in a dandy of a first assist to put the Hawks up 4-2.
With the teams tied at one game apiece in the series and the Game 3 score tied 1-1 after 20 minutes of play at Chicago's United Center, Toews came out and scored just 36 seconds into the second period on a wicked wrist shot that beat Predators goalie Pekka Rinne:
The beauty of that goal (Toews' second of the playoffs) came from its beginnings as a defensive play by Toews on Preds center Matt Cullen in Chicago's zone. But Toews' contributions didn't stop there. Twelve minutes and five seconds after he scored to make it 2-1, the 26-year-old added an assist when he corralled the puck in the corner, curled behind Nashville's net and found teammate Brent Seabrook for a one-timer that put the home side up by two:
Makes big-time plays on his own. Makes teammates better. That's the definition of a superstar, and that's Jonathan Toews.