Despite Injuries, Blackhawks A Force To Be Reckoned With

The Chicago Blackhawks are a force to be reckoned with on the ice, with a record of 11-7-1 and 23 points. Despite being three points out of first place in their division, the Hawks are no strangers to adversity this season, facing an onslaught of player injuries.

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Starting goalie, Corey Crawford was the first Hawk to fall with an upper body injury. Crawford was absent from the ice for six games, which gave Antti Raanta and Lemont native Scott Darling chances to shine in the net. Raanta racked up his first NHL shut out and Darling started his first NHL game during this stretch.

Daniel Carcillo sustained a lower body injury in their 3-2 loss against the St. Louis Blues after crashing into T. J. Oshie. Carcillo made his post-injury debut on November 16^th and scored his second goal of the season Thursday against the Calgary Flames.

After colliding with Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Alexei Emelin on November 4^th, Patrick Sharp headed for the locker room with 13:05 left in the game. Sharp skated for the first time since the hit on Thursday, however, he was placed on long-term IR that same day.

Oct 28, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Patrick Sharp (10) with the puck during the first period against the Anaheim Ducks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

This move is not to be taken as an indicator that the Hawks will be without the sharp shooter for another extended amount of time. The timeline given at the time of Sharp’s injury projected that the right winger would be out for a total of three to four weeks regardless. This move was made to open up cap and roster space for rookies from the Rockford Ice Hogs. Sharp could be joining his team for practice by the end of the Circus Trip.

Rookie defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyke suffered the most devastating injury on November 16^th during the match up against the Dallas Stars. He left the ice after being hit in the knee with the puck in the first period and never returned. Van Riemsdyke underwent surgery for his fractured patella on Thursday and will miss up to 3-4 months.

The most recent Blackhawk injury is scrappy center, Andrew Shaw, who was sidelined from the game against Calgary with an upper body injury. It was reported that Shaw practiced the previous day. However, the Hawks have determined him day-to-day and claimed his injury was not serious.

Niklas Hjalmarsson has proved himself to be an iron wall, after being hit in the face with the puck twice. Thankfully, neither hit has been serious enough for the defenseman to leave the game, always returning the next period with a few stitches.

A silver lining to the injury cloud is that new faces from Rockford are being given their chance in the spotlight. Peter Regin, who made several

May 2, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Joakim Nordstrom (42) with the puck during the third period of game one of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Minnesota Wild at the United Center. Chicago won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Blackhawk appearances during the 2013-2014 season was called up after Sharp’s injury, but was sent down to make room for Carcillo. Jeremy Morin, Joakim Nordstrom (both of whom have previous experience with the team), and fresh-faced Adam Clendening skated with the Hawks during their 4-3 victory against the Flames. Clendening scored his first NHL goal on his first shot.

The absence of Shaw gives Phillip Danault the opportunity to play for the Blackhawks when they face Edmonton on Saturday. Danault is a member of the 2011 draft class and has three goals and seven assists this season with Rockford. Danault caught a red-eye flight to Edmonton after receiving the call and made it to the tail end of practice, where the Hawks hit their sticks against the ice for their newest teammate as he took a lap.

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