In an analysis of the Chicago Blackhawks season so far, the Chicago Tribune’s Jimmy Greenfield mentions one interesting fact nestled deep in his article that Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said he expects goaltender Corey Crawford to return this week on Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes.
Crawford, who hasn’t played since Dec. 23 of last season due to concussion issues, has been rumored to be getting closer to being ready and is a critical piece to Chicago’s playoff hopes. The hope had been that Crawford would have been ready for training camp, but he admitted this summer that he wasn’t ready and might miss training camp and some time during the season. He finally got back onto the ice during training camp and now has been practicing with the team for a little over two weeks now.
The 33-year-old was having a fine season until he got hurt last year, posting 16 wins, a .929 save percentage and a 2.27 GAA in 28 games. While no one really knows how often Crawford can play or if he can return to form from his previous years, but the team is better off with him on the ice than without, even though the play of Cam Ward has improved significantly in his last two games, as he is boasting a .917 save percentage.
Big boost to this team. Hopefully the defense can start playing well, so Crawford won’t have to step in and instantly face 35+ shots
yes ! yes ! Go Hawks, welcome back Corey