The Chicago Blackhawks actually had every reason to be happy on Saturday evening, as they caused the Toronto Maple Leafs their fifth defeat in a row. But the Windy City team’s 3-2 win was marred by the injury shock to captain Nick Foligno, who apparently won’t be available for weeks.
Shortly before the end of the second quarter, the 38-year-old blocked a long-range hammer from Jake McCabe with his left hand when the score was 1:2 for the guests. While his teammates grabbed the puck and quickly switched towards the Canadians’ goal, the American held his hand with a pained expression on his face.
The winger immediately left the ice and was escorted to the catacombs for further examinations. Without their captain, the Blackhawks turned the game against the Maple Leafs around. However, the joy of the victory was significantly dampened by an update that head coach Jeff Blashill gave immediately after the game.
Foligno is “everything in this team”
“Nick will be out for a long time,” the trainer confirmed the bad news that many fans on social media had already expected: “If I had to estimate, I would say four weeks, but it could also be a little less or a little more. I don’t like giving time estimates. It’s not six months, but it’s not two days either.”
Chicago is not only missing a leader on and off the ice in the coming weeks, but also an important key player in the first offensive line and in penalty killing. “It’s hard to watch,” Blackhawks forward Teuvo Teräväinen said of his teammate’s loss.
“That’s bad luck, that happens sometimes when you fight hard. He’s a big guy. He’s our captain here. He’s loud in the locker room. He’s everything in this team. Hopefully we can see him back on the ice as soon as possible,” the Finn encouraged his captain.