Petr Mrazek injured in Hawks' OT win over Red Wings originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
For the second straight game, the Blackhawks overcame a multi-goal deficit and beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime on Friday in their home opener. But they lost their starting goaltender in the process.
Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said after the game that Petr Mrazek notified the team that he "wasn't feeling great" and "felt like he had a small injury" at the end of the second period. He finished out the period but was replaced in the third by Alex Stalock, who stopped all 10 shots he faced in relief.
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It's unclear what the Mrazek injury is specifically, but it doesn't sound too serious and the Blackhawks are hoping to have more information on Saturday even though he's not expected to practice. Arvid Soderblom was recalled immediately after the game while the team gets more clarity on Mrazek's status.
"He knows his body well because he’s had some injuries before," Richardson said. "He's an active goaltender. I think just cautiously, we wanted to make sure, early in the season, and the style of goalie that he is, we took that precaution."
Here's a look at the final seconds of the middle frame. You can definitely notice that Mrazek appears to be in some discomfort:
It's an unfortunate development for Mrazek, who battled injuries all of last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He changed up his workouts over the offseason because of it and desperately wanted to put together a full 82-game season.
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