The sight on the ice was jarring, then nauseating.
Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford lay on his back, his hands pulled to his head, moments after a high-speed collision with teammate Dylan Strome.
It came as no surprise when coach Jeremy Colliton revealed after Sunday's game that Crawford had suffered his second concussion in less than a year.
The cause of the collision _ the Sharks' Evander Kane skating fast toward the net and pushing Strome so hard that Crawford's head snapped back into the goal post and dislodged the net _ was of far less importance than its outcome.
Yes, Kane received a penalty for goaltender interference because it was careless, but there is no way to conclude it was intentional.
What is true and scary is how the scene on the ice immediately transported you back to Crawford's struggle to return from the concussion he suffered last season.
For months, Crawford couldn't even get on the ice. And when he did finally begin skating in September during training camp, his on-ice sessions before practices were limited to around 30 minutes.
The process was slow and cautious, and for a while it seemed a return to games was wishful thinking.
Then in early October, Crawford began participating in full practices. By Oct. 18, he was able to make his season debut, and he immediately reclaimed his starting job.
Concussions are too dangerous and mysterious to have any idea how much time Crawford might miss. It could be a couple of weeks, or he could have to wait again until camp starts in September. It's impossible to know, and it would be reckless to speculate.
Two primary questions need to be asked in the wake of Crawford's latest concussion: What will this mean for Crawford's life and career, and what does this mean for the Hawks' season?
One is vital; both are important. Only the hockey question is answerable at this point.
The Hawks didn't reveal Crawford was dealing with a concussion last season, and he and the team felt good enough about his progress to let him practice during a trip to Arizona in February. That ended quickly, and it was months before he skated again.
There shouldn't be any doubt that Crawford, 33, who is recently married and has a 1-year-old son, will do what's best for him and his family if he feels his long-term health is at risk. But it's far too early for anyone to know whether that's the case.
It's not heartless to also explore how Crawford's injury will impact this season and perhaps beyond.
The Hawks are in a vastly different situation than they were a year ago. At the time Crawford's season ended, the Hawks had a 17-13-5 record for 39 points. If they had that record today, they would be in a virtual tie with the Oilers for the final wild-card spot.
But the Hawks are 10-19-6, nowhere near the playoff picture and looking every bit as bad as their record.
If you take the Hawks at their word, allowing five unanswered goals over the final two periods of Sunday's 7-3 loss to the Sharks had little or nothing to do with the scare of seeing Crawford's head slam into a goal post.
While that's doubtful because of the love and concern they have for their teammate _ and because they're only human _ it's also believable given how often the Hawks have disappeared in games this season.
Chances are the Hawks will recall goalie Collin Delia from Rockford on Tuesday to take Crawford's spot. There's no reason Delia shouldn't get the bulk of the starts.
Backup Cam Ward has been one of the least effective goalies in the NHL this season, no matter how you slice it. His .883 save percentage is 58th among the 63 goalies with at least eight appearances. His 4.17 goals-against average is 62nd.
The Hawks' porous defense gets some of the blame for Ward's numbers but not all of it. Same goes for Crawford, who has been putting up the worst numbers of his excellent career.
The biggest difference between this year and last year when Crawford was lost for the season is wins and losses don't matter right now. What matters is that the Hawks use the rest of the season to find out who should be part of the team long term.
And that Crawford uses it to get healthy. No matter how long it takes.
