The Blackhawks didn’t really expect the injured Patrick Kane to be available for Friday’s game; his bad ankle acted up again during the morning skate. He came off the ice and was seen talking to the Blackhawks training staff.
The staff also announced that Fernando Pisani will be available for Friday’s game. At least one of the injured players is back — the Blackhawks don’t like to make excuses, and reports say that some team leaders including Jonathan Toews have called out teammates in private for not playing hard, but clearly, injuries to significant players is one of the primary reasons the Blackhawks now rank 10th in the Western Conference.
As has been the case in the salary cap era, many teams seem about equal — there are 13 teams in the conference who are almost indistinguishable from each other, and it is up to the Hawks to find the winning mojo they had last year to break away from the pack. It wouldn’t hurt to get some consistent goaltending, either.
The Blackhawks host the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.