Chicago Blackhawks Injury Rumors: Marian Hossa Could Miss Time Due to Leg Injury
Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks suffered a lower body injury in the team's 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks last Saturday after getting a hip check that saw him tumble into the boards and slow to get up.
The team later announced that the Slovak right winger has been placed through a set of tests to evaluate and determine if there are any major injuries. A day later, the Blackhawks decided to put him on injured reserve, which means that the team will be missing his services for a significant time, though no timetable for his return has been officially announced.
The hip check to Hossa was courtesy of Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm, who didn't hesitate in making contact with the 37-year-old veteran. He went into the boards and appeared to have jammed his leg. Later, he was seen slow to get up, needing assistance to get off the ice. He did not return to finish the game after the incident.
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The loss of Hossa to injury dealt Chicago a substantial blow to their campaign in the regular season and it came at the most inopportune time when the team is dealing with a slump. They are still on top of the Central Division as of this posting, but after starting the month of February on a high note, they visibly struggled this week. As a matter of fact, they haven't won a game in the past three matches played at home.
Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville does not believe the injury was serious though. "We don't think it's serious, but he could miss some time," he said. It is expected that Hossa will be able fully recover in less than a couple of weeks.
Chicago will have to find ways to win games without Hossa and rookie sensation Artemi Panarin, who himself is battling some kind of an illness. The team isn't that deep when it comes to scoring, so they need every able body to hold on to their lead in their division.
