Blackhawks In Good Health With Playoffs Starting
(CBS) Plagued by a variety of injuries, major and minor in recent weeks, the Blackhawks appear to be healthy heading into the postseason.
Forwards Marian Hossa, Andrew Shaw and Artem Anisimov all skated at Monday's practice, and goalie Corey Crawford looked "the best we've seen him," coach Joel Quenneville said. Crawford saw his first action since March 14 when he played in Saturday's regular-season finale, as he'd previously been dealing with a head-related injury.
"He looked like he was himself," Quenneville said.
Crawford stopped 25 of the 30 shots he faced in a 5-4 loss at Columbus in his return Saturday. He wasn't worried by the numbers, though, believing he's got his feel back and saying his injury is completely behind him.
"It was really important," Crawford said of getting back on the ice. "It felt good to see the pucks in the game and get those little details down. The results weren't as good as I wanted, but it was great to get in a game."
Top-six winger Andrew Ladd was missing, but he'll be good to when the Blackhawks face the Blues in Game 1 of their first-round series on Wednesday in St. Louis.
Of course, top defenseman Duncan Keith will miss the playoff opener as he serves the final game of a six-game suspension for a vicious high-sticking late in the regular season.
In other news Monday, the Blackhawks recalled defenseman David Rundblad from the AHL Rockford Icehogs and sent forwards Bryan Bickell and Dennis Rasmussen down there.