CHICAGO _ The NHL season doesn't pause when a team is missing two of its most important players, as the Blackhawks are in captain Jonathan Toews and goaltender Corey Crawford. The Hawks already were struggling without both in the lineup, having dropped their last two entering Tuesday
The last thing the Hawks needed was another injury. But the Hawks may be looking at another big loss after defenseman Brent Seabrook exited in the second period of the Hawks' 4-0 victory over the Coyotes at the United Center.
Seabrook left after a sequence 13 minutes, 19 seconds into the second period in which he got tangled with Coyotes winger Jordan Martinook near the boards. He was slow to get up but skated off to the dressing room under his own power. However, he did not return.
The schedule may not stop when a team has injuries but at least the scheduling gods did drop an opportunity in the Hawks' lap to buy some time and pick up some points while their injured stars recover, Toews from a back injury and Crawford from an appendectomy.
The Coyotes brought with them one of the worst records in the league and the Hawks took advantage thanks to a second-period scoring burst that saw them score twice in 19 seconds.
First, Marian Hossa continued his resurgence this season with his 13th and 14th goals. Hossa took a pass off his skate from Ryan Hartman and in one motion put it on his stick and into the net past Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith 6:26 into the second period.
Hossa's scores came in his 27th game with his second goal of the night coming late in the third period. He scored 13 in 64 games a season ago.
For the Hawks' third goal, Richard Panik stole the puck in the Coyotes zone and went hard to the net on Smith. After he was stopped, he did not give up on the play and shuffled a pass from behind the net to Dennis Rasmussen, who was in front of Smith to put home a goal at 6:45. It was Rasmussen's second goal of the season.
After the Hawks scored just two goals in their last two games, coach Joel Quenneville unsurprisingly switched up his lines in an effort to spark scoring, only keeping intact the unit of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane.
Marcus Kruger replaced Vincent Hinostroza at center between Hartman and Hossa while Hinostroza dropped to the left wing alongside center Andrew Desjardins and right wing Jordin Tootoo. Rasmussen centered a line with Tyler Motte and Panik to round out the lineup.
It was the Anisimov line that got the Hawks on the board first thanks to a power-play. The Hawks were 0-for-13 in their last five games on the power play and wanted to change their movement on the man advantage.
They took Panarin and moved him around in the slot instead of having him stay on the left wing for one-timers while Anisimov posted up in front of the net. As Kane handled the puck he dished a crisp pass to Anisimov, who was in perfect position to re-direct the pass between the legs of Smith for a 1-0 lead 15 minutes, 37 seconds into the game.
The Hawks were able to build a lead without two of their top players on Tuesday, but now they may have to deal without a third.
