Blackhawks Win Shootout But Lose Patrick Kane

The Chicago Blackhawks won in a shootout against the Florida Panthers, 3-2, but may ultimately lose in the long run. Patrick Kane sustained an upper-body injury during the game that may sideline him for as long as 10 weeks, well into the 2015 playoffs.

Kane, the current co-leader in goals scored in the league this season, fell awkwardly into the boards in the first period after a cross check from Panthers defensemen Alex Petrovic. The check cost the Panthers a goal as Petrovic was penalized on the hit while the Blackhawks went on to score during the ensuing power play.

“Live, it looked a little dangerous,” Chicago head coach Quenneville said of the cross check. “You can argue the hit. At the end of the day, scoring on the power play made you feel a little bit better.” Early speculation is that Kane has suffered a broken collarbone that could sideline him until the second round of the playoffs at the very least.

NHL Hockey Betting at Sports Interaction

Losing Kane for the remainder of the regular season may not crush the Blackhawks chances as they currently have a strong group of forwards that can eat up the ice time and produce, but losing the NHL’s point leader certainly puts a dent in plans to make another deep playoff run. Leading up to his injury last night, Kane was a candidate for the Hart Trophy, given to the NHL’s MVP each year. He has tallied 27 goals and 37 assists this season and is playing some of the best hockey of his NHL career.

Quenneville said that they should know more about Kane’s status moving forward today. The Blackhawks are currently in third place behind the St. Louis Blues and the Nashville Predators in the Central Division in the Western Conference. They’ll need to find a way to continue scoring points to not only keep up with St. Louis and Nashville, but to stave off the Winnipeg Jets who are just four points behind and holding on to the Wildcard spot.