Chicago Blackhawks: Corey Crawford will start on Thursday

The Chicago Blackhawks announced that goaltender Corey Crawford will make his long-awaited return on Thursday night. Crawford will provide stability in net after being out almost a year.

The Chicago Blackhawks were desperate for consistency in net throughout the entire second half of last season. That was mainly because starting goaltender Corey Crawford went down with what was described at the time as an “Upper-body injury”. It was revealed this summer that Crawford was dealing with nagging concussion symptoms dating back to December 2017.

In Crawford’s absence, the team turned to a platoon of below-average goalies, including a recreational league goalie named Scott Foster. Foster came into one game on an emergency basis and actually played well. Other fill-in goalies like J-F Berube and Jeff Glass didn’t fare well. As a consequence, the Blackhawks missed the playoffs last season for the first time in 10 years.

Blackhawks fans will feel some major excitement as Crawford looks to get a win in his first start this season when the Blackhawks face the Arizona Coyotes at the United Center on Thursday. This team has been much better on the offensive side of the ice this year with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews netting five goals in five games. A boost in net will surely help the defense.

Despite the excitement, Crawford’s health is still a big question mark for this Blackhawks team. It’s a huge milestone that he’s been medically cleared, but there are always concerns when it comes to recovering from long-term concussion symptoms. If Crawford gets his bell rung again, will he be able to recover? Or will it again send him back to the injured reserve for months?

In the offseason, the Blackhawks signed veteran goalie Cam Ward. Ward was initially predicted to be a solid backup to the returning Crawford, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville admitted during the summer that Crawford wouldn’t be ready for the start of the season. Ward has been shaky in the five games he’s started this season, but he got the team three wins.

While Ward hasn’t been great, he’s shown that he still has the talent to be a great NHL backup goaltender. Crawford will get the lion’s share of work going forward as long as he’s healthy. Hopefully, he will return to being one of the best netminders in the league as he’s been in the past. If not, the Blackhawks could be in danger of missing the playoffs for a second straight year.

Blackhawks fans should enjoy Crawford’s return, even if there are worries. There was a concern last season that he would have to retire. Concussions are a scary injury, as hockey players like Chris Pronger and Mike Richter know. Both of them had their careers ended early due to lingering post-concussion symptoms that never fully went away. It’s a cruel, unpredictable injury.

Crawford will surely get a raucous ovation at home on Thursday night. Many fans haven’t appreciated just how important he is to this team over the years. Those that doubted him got a harsh reality check last season when he was gone.

If Crawford can return to form and stay healthy, this Blackhawks team could be a championship contender once again.