The Chicago Blackhawks got great news on the injury front on Thursday, as Artem Anisimov will play against the Montreal Canadiens, but they also got some bad news as Erik Gustafsson was forced to leave practice with a lower body injury.
That injury will keep the defenseman out of Thursday’s game in Montreal, but it’s unclear whether he will return Friday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, as head coach Joel Quenneville called him “day-to-day” after morning skate.
As for Anisimov, the center did not travel with the team to Montreal after falling ill before Tuesday’s game in Chicago, but he is en route to Canada and will suit up for the Hawks on Thursday. Anisimov will likely rejoin the second line for the game, skating between Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin.
As for which player will replace Gustafsson, odds are that both Rob Scuderi and Michal Rozsival will play against Montreal on Thursday night. The players have been switching off spots in the lineup in recent games in order to keep them fresh, but with the youngster out, they’ll have to step up their game in a tough matchup against a skilled offensive opponent.
