On a night two Blackhawks veterans made their exhibition debuts, the team may have lost the same number of players to significant injuries.
During the Hawks’ 4-3 victory over the Red Wings on Wednesday night at the United Center, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa played for the first time this preseason and each scored goals. The enthusiasm of the victory was muted as the Hawks lost winger Viktor Stalberg to a leg injury during the first period and then rookie Ben Smith to a head injury in the third.
The Smith injury dominated the postgame talk in both dressing rooms as it came as a result of a shoulder-to-head hit from the Wings’ Brendan Smith. As Ben Smith skated toward the Wings net, Brendan Smith cut across the ice and clipped him with his shoulder. Ben Smith lay motionless on the ice for a moment before being helped off the ice and into the dressing room.
Afterward, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said of Smith, “He’s better. We’ll see how he is (Thursday).”
New NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan has been busy this week doling out suspensions for hits to the head and the Hawks believe Brendan Smith should be the next to be forced to sit.
“That’s just a hit you have to get rid of,” Kane said. “It’s scary. Just a little nudge like that, the game is so fast and an elbow to the head and you see Ben down and out. Hopefully, that’s a big suspension. The league has to take care of that hit.”
Quenneville agreed: “Both referees said that’s a classic example of what we’re talking about. That’s the illegal hit. It was pretty black and white. I’m not happy about it. It’s what we’re trying to get away from.”
Predictably, the Red Wings saw things a bit differently.
“I don’t doubt (Brendan Smith’s) shoulder hit (Ben Smith’s) head … (but) is there any responsibility on the puck carrier, toe-dragging, sliding sideways, to look after himself?” Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “You come across the middle, toe-dragging … and you get dinged. And I’m not saying that our guy isn’t guilty, his shoulder hit his head. (But) what’s the onus on the player with the puck?”
Ben Smith is in a dogfight to make the roster and had scored a goal early in the third to tie the game 3-3. Hossa then won it while the Hawks were on the power play after Brendan Smith’s hit.
Stalberg left the game late in the first and afterward Quenneville said the injury “is probably not good.”
For Hossa, coming out of the game free of injury was a big step as he looks to stay healthy this season, something he has been unable to do the last two seasons.
“I would like to play 80-82 games — that’s my goal,” said Hossa, who had No. 38 affixed to his skates in remembrance of his friend Pavol Demitra, who died in the recent plane crash in Russia that took the lives of the Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv.
“I hope because I had a long summer and a longer recovery and summer program … that will help. I’m expecting lots from myself and hopefully I’m healthy so I can do it.”
One-timer: Brent Seabrook also scored for the Hawks while Fabian Brunnstrom had two goals and Drew Miller added another for the Wings.
Twitter @ChrisKuc
