Fallen Hero: Chicago Blackhawks Lose Patrick Sharp For 2-3 Weeks

After practice Monday coach Joel Quenneville announced that the Chicago Blackhawks would be without top goal scorer Patrick Sharp for two to three weeks with a sprained knee.

Sharp injured his knee in the 'Hawks last game against the Dallas Stars when his knee collided with Steve Ott and buckled awkwardly. Sharp needed to be helped off the ice by the trainer and captain Jonathan Toews.

This season has been a good one for Sharp, who leads the 'Hawks in goals with 23 and is fifth on the team in scoring with 38 points. Although he has had a very solid season, he has been in a bit of a dry spell lately, with only four points in his last 17 games. 

Sharp will be replaced in the lineup by Craig Adams who was scratched in the 'Hawks last game against the Stars. Adams has been in and out of the 'Hawks lineup all season, and in the 31 games that Adams has played he has recorded six points.

Dale Tallon recently said that it is likely that the Blackhawks will be getting looks at Jack Skille, Pascal Pelletier and Niklas Hjalmarrson during the stretch run to the playoffs. You would believe that this would be a perfect time for the 'Hawks to give Skille and Pelletier a look at the NHL level. 

We also discovered today that goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will not join the team on the week long road trip to South Florida and Dallas. Khabibulin is still nursing a lower body injury that he sustained versus the Atlanta Thrashers.

Cristobal Huet will likely shoulder the goaltending load for the seven-day road trip and Antii Niemi will be riding the bench hoping to get his first NHL action.

It will be interesting to see how this young 'Hawks team reacts without having two of it's most important veterans out of the lineup.