Rozner: For a night, Chicago Blackhawks' Crawford a star again

It wasn't that long ago, maybe a month or two, when Corey Crawford was being told by the experts that he must retire.

And even a week or two back, he was told to simply go away, so bad he was and how much he was hurting his hockey team.

Now, he's being told how great he is again.

Such is the life of an NHL goaltender, especially one who's had the health issues Crawford has endured the last two seasons.

It also speaks to the fickle nature of hockey evaluations, which can go from zero to 60 and back to zero in the flick of a snapshot.

Crawford was superb for the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night in Montreal, a goalie win for certain as the Habs played the entire third period in the offensive zone, though Crawford postgame was filled with praise for his teammates and had little interest in talking about his own performance.

"I thought we played really well," Crawford said. "Even though they were coming with pressure at the end, we didn't panic. That was great for us to not lose our cool."

The Hawks did play a nice team game, but let's not pretend that Crawford didn't save them, stopping at least 10 point-blank chances in a 48-save shutout in his hometown.

"Crawford was unbelievable," said defenseman Connor Murphy, who had a strong game defensively and also scored the game-winner. "A couple of those saves in tight, they had a rebound right in front and it seemed like he almost tracked it into his glove.

"Some of those saves seemed impossible."

Some of them did, but Crawford can be that good.

Seems ridiculous that so many have already forgotten who Crawford was and could be again, that so many have advice to hand out on what an athlete should do with his career.

Crawford is 34 and heading into the final year of a deal worth $6 million next season. He's had plenty of chances to call it a career during the last 12 months, but he obviously wants to play more hockey.

He knows the end is much closer than the beginning, and sometimes athletes don't see that until it's too late.

Perhaps, Crawford is now able to visualize the calendar and what it represents. He smiles more, shakes more hands and appreciates more the gift of health and playing time, benefits that can be taken away at any moment.

At the same time, the Hawks have turned a corner over the last two months, going 16-6 and finding success with young players and additions to the roster, and if that continues into next season, Crawford would want to be a part of that.

More to the point, however, is that the Hawks would need Crawford to be a part of that, even if his future with the club past 2019-20 is in doubt.

There is no certainty in net beyond Crawford, and what's certain is what he's accomplished for the Hawks this decade, two titles they wouldn't have won without him.

Playoffs or not this season, the Hawks are intent on being in the mix again as soon as next season, so while Crawford may yet prove himself trade worthy this summer, if the plan is to go for it again while the core is still intact, then Crawford must be a part of that plan.

That probably seems absurd to those who have never seen Crawford for what he has been, one of the best and most underrated goaltenders in the league and one who is capable of taking the Hawks a long way.

Ready to spit him out just a week ago, and having shaken the rust for a night, they saw Crawford's best again Saturday.

Now, he is seen as a star - at least until the next bad goal.

Such is his life. Such it has always been. Such it will always be.