Hawks gutsy comeback not quite enough in 6-4 loss to Avs
While Jonathan Toews hasn't enjoyed a spectacular comeback after missing all of last season, he still played in all 43 of the Blackhawks' first games.
Only Alex DeBrincat and Dominik Kubalik could make the same claim heading into Friday's 6-4 loss to Colorado at the United Center.
Toews, however, was forced to miss the contest after being put into concussion protocol in the morning. There is no timetable for the captain's return.
"(Of all) the injuries you get as a player this is the one that you've got to look after," interim coach Derek King said after morning skate. "You don't mess around with this. How major is it? I'm not sure. We're just going to take the (precautions)."
The injury apparently happened midway through the third period in Detroit when Joe Valeno caught Toews with an elbow. Toews, who has 4 goals and 15 assists, looked a bit woozy on the bench, but finished the game.
"He wasn't thinking that at the time and it just kind of hit him later on," King said. "The next day he was off a little bit. He did the right thing by calling it in."
Patrick Kane and Brandon Hagel both scored twice against the Avs, who built a 2-0 lead after two periods and went up 3-0 on a power-play goal by Gabriel Landeskog at 1:16 of the third.
The Hawks stormed back - getting within 3-2 Kane's first goal at 2:18, 4-3 on his second at 14:00 and 5-4 on Hagel's second at 18:31 - but the Avs (31-8-3) always stayed one step ahead.
"A lot of these top teams we've played them pretty good, most of them," King said. "Today the power play was a little sloppy at the start (and) some guys were a little sleepy. We didn't get the start we've talked about over the course of how many months I've been here.
"You can't do that against a good team. Now you're playing catch up."
The crowd was really buzzing in the waning moments, and Hagel nearly tied things up, but his back-to-back shots with 52 and 51 seconds remaining were stopped by Pavel Francouz.
"That hurts," said Hagel, who now has 13 goals on the season. "Obviously the crowd's on their feet, the building's rocking. If I could have put that one in it would have been nice. It stings, but it is what it is, I guess."
Colorado finally iced the victory on an empty netter by Cale Makar with 12 seconds left. The Avs have won nine straight, while the Hawks (16-21-7) have dropped five of six.
Erik Gustafsson and Dylan Strome both had 2 assists. Kane had a 3-point night, registering an assist on Hagel's second goal.
The Hawks next host Vancouver on Monday.