DENVER — Jonathan Toews lay contorted in the middle of the Chicago Blackhawks' dressing room Tuesday morning, doing yoga-like stretches to loosen up his lower back. At one point, he employed the use of a pulsating, lower-lumbar roller, using it as a fulcrum to stretch the muscles out even more.
The Blackhawks' decorated captain is still a young man, at 28, but, well, hockey is not easy on the body. Toews missed nine games in late November and early December with a back injury but told reporters Tuesday the back is "real good, actually." A bad back would be a convenient, and likely a legitimate, excuse for Toews' offensive statistical output being the lowest of his 10-year career. But the three-time Stanley Cup champion refuses to go there, which is exactly what you'd expect from probably still the best leader in hockey.
"Just gotta keep workin'," said Toews, who has seven goals and 22 points in 38 games, well down from his goal-scoring average of 28 the last three seasons. "It seems like every couple weeks, I'm sitting here answering questions about how my numbers aren't there. It's been frustrating, so I'm just t ...
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Article written by Adrian Dater
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January 18th, 2017 by Adrian Dater Leave a reply »
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