Corey Crawford will miss at least one game for the Chicago Blackhawks while dealing with an injury. The team has announced that Crawford is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Crawford allowed five goals in his last game for the Blackhawks and did not play Wednesday night against the Flyers. Coach Joel Quenneville said that Crawford will not travel with the team for the game against the Winnipeg Jets Friday night. Crawford is not expected to miss much time, but the team has recalled Michael Leighton to serve as the backup for Scott Darling.
The Blackhawks did not say when Crawford sustained the injury, but he struggled on Monday while allowing five goals to the Los Angeles Kings. Darling started for the Blackhawks on Wednesday and had 26 saves in the game for the Blackhawks. Crawford is having a very strong season for the Blackhawks, posting a 35-18-4 record with a 2.32 goals against average.
Leighton comes in with a 2.44 goals against average in 46 starts in the AHL with Rockford. Crawford will likely not miss much time, but the Blackhawks are hoping that he can be fully healthy once the playoffs get closer. Crawford has been dealing with some struggles over the past week, including when he was pulled against the Dallas Stars and replaced with Darling.
Crawford is leading the league in shutouts this season, and he will be key if the Blackhawks want to make another Stanley Cup run. He is expected to miss just one game, but the team could consider holding him out for an extra game to make sure that he is fully healed from his injury. The team, overall, has struggled since a long winning streak earlier in the season, but they are in good position in the Western Conference for the playoffs.
The Blackhawks have been struggling as of late, losing four games in a row after falling to the Flyers. The team is locked in a tight battle for the Central Division with the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues. Chicago is three points back of both teams with 88 points. The Nashville Predators have the chance to catch the Blackhawks if they continue struggling down the stretch, as they are just five points back.
