Franson, Rutta eager to get back for Chicago Blackhawks
Rushing back from injury is obviously never a good idea.
But it's also human nature to worry about your starting role when your replacement is playing well. And that's exactly the situation Chicago Blackhawks defensemen Cody Franson and Jan Rutta find themselves in as they attempt to return from upper-body injuries.
"That was my biggest worry obviously when I first got the injury," said Franson, who was hurt Dec. 8 against Buffalo. "It's one of those that you can't necessarily battle through, so that's always a worry when you have an eight-man rotation like this and the guys that go in play really well. …
"Hopefully you've done enough to be able to put yourself in a situation where you go back in when you're healthy."
Franson and Rutta participated in Sunday's morning skate but did not play in the Hawks' 4-1 victory over Minnesota at the United Center.
Franson played in 17 of 18 contests before getting hurt. He believes he will be ready to go Thursday when the Hawks play at Dallas.
Rutta, meanwhile, got his bell rung when he was slammed into the boards by Florida's Connor Brinkley last Tuesday.
"It was maybe kind of like a welcome-to-the-NHL hit," Rutta said. "It was fast, and it was hard."
Jordan Oesterle and Michal Kempny have stepped in for the injured D-men and performed well, which could make for a tough decision or two in the coming days for coach Joel Quenneville.
"That's the NHL," Quenneville said. "It's a competitive business, a competitive team, and when we have to make tough decisions like that on a night-to-night basis, it speaks volumes for our depth. It's a good, healthy situation to be in."
Never satisfied:
Sixteen skaters and goalie Anton Forsberg took part in the Blackhawks' optional morning skate Sunday. Patrick Kane was the only big-name veteran on the ice.
"Nobody wants to be on the ice more than him. We try to sometimes say stay away," Joel Quenneville said. "But he's one of those guys who loves to be out there. He does a lot of different things to try to enhance his game. …
"Kaner out there might have surprised some people. But not us."
Slap shots:
After scoring short-handed into an empty net Sunday, Tommy Wingels has 4 goals in the last five games and 6 overall. … The Hawks outshot the Wild 78-53 on Sunday. Forty-six of the Hawks' shots were on goal, 24 were blocked and 8 were missed. Only 28 of the Wild's shots were on net. … Richard Panik was scratched for a third straight game. …
Alex DeBrincat, who turns 20 on Monday, has 23 points in 33 games this season. Eddie Olczyk is the Hawks' leader in points before his 20th birthday with 129. The top five is rounded out by Patrick Kane (94), Bobby Hull (76), Jonathan Toews (54) and Jeremy Roenick (51).