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Jonathan Toews enjoys the psychological twist they’re putting on Phoenix

Jonathan Toews, Johnny Oduya, Viktor Stalberg

Chicago Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews (19) celebrates his game-winning goal against the Phoenix Coyotes with teammates Viktor Stalberg (25), of Sweden, and Johnny Oduya (27) during overtime in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Saturday, April 21, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Blackhawks defeated the Coyotes 2-1.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

AP

It’s doubtful you’d ever think of Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews as a cerebral assassin of sorts.

Intense? Yes. Deadly serious? Absolutely. Psychological mastermind? Perhaps he is.

Toews tells CSNChicago.com’s Tracey Myers he knows his team is putting the Phoenix Coyotes in an uncomfortable spot by forcing a Game 6.

“You can imagine the feeling they have now; they didn’t want to come back to Chicago, they wanted to end it there,” Jonathan Toews said about the Coyotes. “Any time we can keep pushing it to another game, they’re getting that feeling it’s theirs to lose. We’re trying to put the pressure on them and playing hard. We want to do that again [Monday] night, just like we did last game.”

The longer a series goes, the more the pressure increases for the team that had the advantage and the Coyotes are no different. Helping to exaggerate that pressure is the fact the Coyotes, since calling the desert home, have never advanced past the first round of the playoffs.

With Andrew Shaw returning from his suspension tonight, the Blackhawks hope they’ll have a bit more ammunition on their side to force a Game 7.