Toews misses Thursday, doubtful for Saturday
Not only did Jonathan Toews miss Thursday's 4-3 Blackhawks overtime victory over New Jersey at the United Center, the Hawks' captain is also doubtful for Saturday's tilt at Philadelphia.
Toews has now missed four games with an upper-body injury he suffered last week in San Jose.
Joel Quenneville expects Toews to be able to skate Friday or Saturday. The Hawks' coach added that the injury is not getting worse and the team "just wants to make sure that he's ready to go when he hits the ice. From there we'll get a better idea of when he'll be able to play."
The Hawks are now 3-0-1 without Toews.
"He's our leader and a big part of this team," said Marcus Kruger, who tied Thursday's game 1-1 when he scored 1:02 into the second period. "No one can replace him really. We just need to step up a little bit - every one of us. We obviously want to see him back as soon as possible."
Lucky break:
Artem Anisimov felt fortunate he wasn't seriously hurt when he blocked a shot during the third period of the Hawks' shootout win over Florida on Tuesday.
"When the puck hit me, I (thought) it's going to be worse, but it's not. I'm happy," Anisimov said.
The Hawks' center said he gained a new appreciation for what shot-blocker extraordinaire Niklas Hjalmarsson does on a nightly basis.
"He's the warrior," Anisimov said. "I don't know how he does it every game. Amazing."
Pumped up:
Devils rookie winger and Geneva native Nick Lappin grew up watching the Blackhawks, rooting for players like Tony Amonte, Jeremy Roenick and Eric Daze.
Lappin, who is 24 years old and was not drafted, made his NHL debut against the Hawks on Oct. 28 and was excited to be playing at the United Center on Thursday.
"I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be tough to nap, that's for sure, this afternoon," Lappin said.
Slap shots:
Duncan Keith had 2 assists Thursday, giving him 17 on the season. He has still not scored a goal ... The NHL announced that kids under 3 do not need a ticket to the Winter Classic between the Blackhawks and Blues at Busch Stadium on Jan. 2. Those kids may sit in the lap of a ticketed fan. ... Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, out since Oct. 21, could play Saturday at Philadelphia. ... Gustav Forsling and Jordin Tootoo were the Hawks' healthy scratches vs. New Jersey. ... The Hawks have outscored their opponents 21-19 in the first period despite being outshot 275-207.