Captain Serious has been missing from his line for twenty straight games.  Does that streak end on Thursday?

Jonathan Toews’ last game was February 19th against the St. Louis Blues.  He did not return to the ice three days later for the Hawks v Red Wings matchup with an undisclosed upper body injury, later revealed to be concussion symptoms.

After over a month out of action, and weeks of on-again off-again morning skates, here’s to hoping that we’re nearing the end of this leading goal-scorers absence.

The Blackhawks have only two regular season games left before the playoff series begins (the Hawks’ fourth consecutive appearance), facing off against the Wild this Thursday and the Red Wings on Saturday for the regular season finale.

It’s a bit of a complex whether or not it’s better for Toews to get back in the game before playoffs begin.  On the one hand, it’d be nice for him to get his groove back before he has to go full-force playoff-mode, but on the other, if he’s not completely ready physically to be in the heat of things again, risk of injury might outweigh the positives.

One thing for sure, the captain is itching to be a part of his team again:

“Emotionally and mentally I’ll be ready to play hockey more than anything. I’m so excited to get back on the ice. When you haven’t played in a long time like that, whether it’s playoffs or not, it’s fun to go back out there and be part of the room again.” – Toews, Tuesday afternoon.

Check out this full storify board for a timeline look at Toews’ Road to Recovery.