Hawks Lose, Hossa Wheeled Off Ice After Vicious Hit

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 18, 2012 1:30PM

It wasn't a good night for the Blackhawks Tuesday at the United Center. Their 3-2 overtime loss to the Phoenix Coyotes was marred by a brutal hit on Marian Hossa by Phoenix's Raffi Torres in the first period that had Hossa being carted off the ice on a stretcher. And in a Stanley Cup playoffs that's featured a litany of game misconducts and fights, Torres' hit—where he left the ice and rammed his shoulder into Hossa— was ruled clean.

Hossa was treated and released at Northwestern Memorial Hospital with what team physician Dr. Michael Terry called an "upper body injury." It's unknown if Hossa will return for Game four Thursday. Hossa's teammates were livid after the game, given Torres' reputation for thuggish play, the lack of a penalty and the three-game suspension handed down to Andrew Shaw for his hit on Phoenix goalie Mike Smith Tuesday.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said he wouldn't be surprised to see Torres "tr(y) to do something like that again. So if nothing happens to him, I don't see why he won't try it." Hawks coach Joel Quenneville lit into the referees after the game and called their control of the game, and a lack of penalty on Torres' hit, a "disgrace." (Who wants to be that Quenneville will be fined for his comments on the refereeing before NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan levies any punishment on Torres?)

And Quenneville's right, but the Blackhawks still had to play 60 of hockey and the same problems this team can't seem to correct came to bear late in the game. Corey Crawford, who got into a jawing match with Smith late in the second period after Smith attempted to slash Patrick Sharp, gave up two third-period goals in one-minute, five-second span, and the game-winner he gave up to Mikkel Boedker was weakly defended. Crawford, by the way, has not shut out a team this season, and his .903 save percentage is the worst among Stanley Cup starting goaltenders.

The Hawks' inability to play with a lead and defensive lapses allowed Phoenix back in the game. Not to downplay the severity of the hit on Hossa, but it wasn't the main reason the Blackhawks are in a 2-1 hole in their Western Conference quarterfinal series.