The Chicago Blackhawks are set to start their quest for a second consecutive Stanley Cup Championship and fortunately for them, their top two offensive players will be ready to play in the first game of the series against the St. Louis Blues.
Both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane appear ready to take the ice for the start of the Western Conference First Round matchup against St. Louis and while there were only a few words spoken at their respective media availabilities, they surely inspire confidence in the rest of the team.
There’s no question that Toews might be a bit rusty after sitting out the final six games of the regular season but it seems like he’s ready to go.
“Good”, Toews said when he was asked about how he’s feeling recently. “Really good”.
"[Tuesday] I'll be out there with the boys, back to the usual routine," he said. "It's kind of nice. Not fun to be on your own program for a couple of weeks. It's one of the downsides. I'm looking forward to being back."
Kane also feels ready and he says he’s more than eager to take part in the playoffs. He’s excited to try to lead Chicago to another Stanley Cup crown.
"I'm excited to get things going," Kane said. "I've watched a lot of hockey lately, so it's going to be nice to play in some games now. I feel pretty good. It'll be nice to get a couple skates with the team [Tuesday and Wednesday] and the pre-game skate Thursday and get ready to go."
Both players appear to be key for Chicago and the team clearly needs them if they want to make it out of the first-round. If they can get back to their pre-injury form, there’s no doubt that the Blackhawks will get a significant boost when they face off against the Blues.