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The Chicago Blackhawks' challenging season took another hit on Monday night when veteran forward Patrick Kane left the game against the Colorado Avalanche due to an upper-body injury. Kane's departure occurred in the second period of Chicago's 5-2 defeat.
Head coach Jeff Blashill confirmed that Kane will be sidelined for at least the next two games. "It's a loss, but again, this is the NHL, so you're going to lose guys, and you're going to find a way for other guys to step in," Blashill stated.
Kane, who will turn 38 on Nov. 19, has recorded one goal and eight assists in 15 games since returning to Chicago. He signed a two-year, $16 million contract in July. The forward spent his first 15-plus seasons with the Blackhawks, playing a key role in three Stanley Cup championships. He has not scored since the season opener at Vegas on Sept. 29, but he did register his 900th career assist in Saturday's 5-4 loss at Boston.
Chicago was already without defenseman Bowen Byram, who missed his eighth consecutive game with an upper-body injury. Byram was acquired from Buffalo in a June trade. "Trying to get him over the last hurdle," Blashill said. "And he's seeing a specialist to try to work through that, to get him over the last hurdle. So that's where that's at."
The Blackhawks had hoped to contend for a playoff spot this season, but they are now in a difficult position with a 4-10-1 record. They will face the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night to open a three-game road trip that also includes matchups against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes. The franchise has not reached the postseason since the NHL used an expanded playoff format in the pandemic-affected 2019-20 season.
"We've had enough games where we've been in position to win games. We haven't won enough of those," Blashill said. "If you continuously do it over and over and you get incrementally better, at some point you look back and you say, you know, we did a good job climbing out of that, and that's what we're going to have to do."
Key Analysis
The loss of Kane compounds the Blackhawks' early-season struggles, as the team is already without a key defenseman in Byram and sits near the bottom of the standings. With a tough road trip ahead, Chicago faces an uphill battle to stay competitive in the playoff race. Blashill's emphasis on incremental improvement and resilience will be tested as the team looks to turn its season around.
Originally reported by yahoo.