Wisniewski confident he'll bounce back from latest injury

If Blackhawks defenseman James Wisniewski didn't have bad luck, he might not have any luck at all.

For the second time this season, Wisniewski finds himself sidelined with an injury that is partly due to tough luck and partly the result of the all-out way he plays the game.

Wisniewski sprained his right knee when he stepped on a stick while preparing to fight Nashville pest Jordin Tootoo as time expired in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Predators.

Last month, Wisniewski suffered a deep cut above his left eye and a mild concussion when he was checked face first into the glass by Vancouver's Matt Cooke, missing three games.

Last March, Wisniewski tore the ACL in his right knee.

"It's kind of annoying, being only 23 years old, but that's the way the ball bounces," Wisniewski said Friday. "You've got to roll through it and fight your way through."

The Hawks originally expected Wisniewski to miss 4-6 weeks, but it might not be that long. Wisniewski can start rehabbing after two weeks and could be playing again soon after that, provided there are no setbacks.

When Wisniewski does return, he plans to have a better game plan for protecting himself. Even late in last Sunday's game against Edmonton, Wisniewski was cross-checked in the back by Ladislav Smid with no penalty called.

And there was no penalty issued to Cooke on the play in Vancouver.

"I think I'm going to have make some room for myself, drop the gloves once in awhile, showing you'll stick up for yourself so it gives you a little more room and guys won't be running you," Wisniewski said. "When you're a young guy you kind of have to get a reputation for yourself, and that's one of the things you have to do every once in awhile."

Wisniewski unleashed a fury of hard punches on Tootoo, remembering he was more angry that he hurt his knee than anything Tootoo did leading up to the fight.

"It was at the beginning of the fight, and I just remember my knee getting planted and it hurting," Wisniewski said. "I was more angry at my knee than anything."

When Wisniewski tore the ACL in the same knee last March against the Kings, it took all summer to rehab it. He was worried he had done the same thing this time.

"I'm not going to lie, I was scared to death, but I'm a young guy and I'll bounce back," Wisniewski said. "Things happen. It's just another test for me to work hard, get back and try to contribute to the team."

The Hawks are going to miss the gritty Wisniewski for however long he is sidelined.

"He's got so much will and this injury hurts because it's tough to replace those kind of players," Hawks coach Denis Savard said. "He brings it almost every night. Yeah, he makes the odd mistake here and there, but his hard work and his will and his grit compensates for all of that."

The fact Wisniewski fought Tootoo after spraining his knee impressed Savard.

"That's how he is. That tells you a lot about him," Savard said.