Between the Circles

Get used to hearing Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville name Ray Emery his starting goaltender. In announcing Monday that Emery would be in the net for Tuesday's game against the Avalanche in Denver, Quenneville gave every indication the veteran has a clear opportunity to replace the inconsistent Corey Crawford as the Hawks' No. 1 goalie for the stretch run. “He's played very well basically every time he's been in the net for us this year,” Quenneville said following practice on Monday. “He's been consistent, he's been solid, predictable, dependable – the guys played very well in front of him last (Friday at Calgary).” Emery is 11-4-2 with a .904 save percentage.

Jonathan Toews withdrew from the All-Star Game on Tuesday and was placed on injured reserve, but the Blackhawks remain hopeful their captain can return to the lineup for the next game on Jan. 31 at Vancouver. “We'll see how he progresses this week, but we said the injury is not serious and it's not,” coach Joel Quenneville said. General manager Stan Bowman said putting Toews on IR, retroactive to Sunday with an injury to his left arm, was done purely to open a roster spot for rookie center Brandon Pirri to be recalled from Rockford to play in Tuesday's game against Nashville. Since a player needs to spent only a minimum of seven days on IR, Toews would be eligible to play next week against the Canucks. The Hawks are off for the next six days for the all-star break.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville will come right back with Corey Crawford as his goalie for Tuesday's key game with Nashville at the United Center. Quenneville, who pulled Crawford in the second period of Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Predators, said he wasn't concerned about his No. 1 goalie's play or confidence. “He's fine,” Quenneville said Monday after practice. “I think everybody goes through, you know, you let a funny one in over time, but you have to move past it and learn from it and put it in the back of your mind.” One of the goals Crawford allowed at Nashville was Kevin's Klein's shot from center ice that took a sideways bounce and went into the net, snapping a 1-1 tie. Crawford has 18 wins but a lowly .902 save percentage and 2.88 goals-against average.

Blackhawks winger Daniel Carcillo will undergo reconstructive left knee surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, ending his season. "This decision was made today after much evaluation and consideration of various options," said Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry. "We anticipate a full return in six months.” Carcillo, who had 2 goals, 9 assists and 82 penalty minutes and a was plus-10, was hurt Jan. 2 against Edmonton throwing an illegal check into Oilers defenseman Tom Gilbert. Carcillo, suspended seven games for the hit, fell awkwardly to the ice on his leg after slamming Gilbert into the glass behind the net. Carcillo has served five games of that suspension.

Playing with another center, now Dave Bolland, means another adjustment for Blackhawks all-star right wing Marian Hossa. But unlike the subtle adjustments Hossa has had to make playing with Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane, it's more complicated with Bolland. Toews and Kane are left-handed shots and have an easier time passing to Hossa on right wing since they mostly face him. Because Bolland is a right-handed shot, it means either making riskier backhand passes to Hossa on the right side or both players adjusting their positioning on the ice while on the attack.

The Blackhawks have lost four games in a row, dropping from first to fifth in the Western Conference, and now have seen Patrick Sharp join Daniel Carcillo and Marcus Kruger on the injury report. “We're not in panic mode by any means,” captain Jonathan Toews said following Tuesday's morning skate. “We're not worrying about it. All the good teams go through stretches like this.” The Hawks, still just 2 points behind West-leading Vancouver despite their woes, host Columbus on Tuesday night at the United. The Blue Jackets are the worst team in the NHL and nothing but a victory over them will do.

Marcus Kruger returned to practice on Sunday morning but still hasn't been cleared medically for contact. Kruger will miss his sixth straight game Sunday with a concussion first suffered on Dec. 20 against Pittsburgh from the head shot that earned Penguins defenseman Deryk Engelland a three-game suspension. Kruger doesn't regret returning just six days later against Columbus and taking two more shots to the head in that game. “I felt good for that (game),” Kruger said. “You don't want to miss this many games, but I hope to be back soon. Now it's just focusing on trying to get better and being ready to play.” There is no timetable yet for Kruger's return to the lineup.

With it looking as if Daniel Carcillo's left knee injury is serious enough where surgery is a possibility, the Blackhawks recalled feisty winger Andrew Shaw from Rockford on Wednesday. Not only will the 20-year-old Shaw be in the lineup on Thursday against the Flyers, he will skate on the first line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp. “It's unbelievable,” Shaw said. “Watching Toews in the World Juniors (in 2007), he was one of my favorite player and getting a chance to play with him is a dream come true.” Shaw went through his first Hawks practice on Wednesday. “I was a little nervous so I can imagine what tomorrow will be like, but they're going to help me through it and make me a better player,” Shaw said.

The NHL suspended Daniel Carcillo indefinitely on Tuesday pending a hearing for his hit on Edmonton defenseman Tom Gilbert in Monday's loss. There was no official word from the Blackhawks following practice on Tuesday regarding the condition of Carcillo, who apparently suffered a left knee injury on the hit that got him in trouble with the NHL. Carcillo, who now has been suspended six times during his NHL career, earned a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for the Gilbert hit. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said Carcillo was undergoing further medical testing on Tuesday. Quenneville responded “tough to say,” when asked if he feared the worst with Carcillo's injury.

The Blackhawks should have known there would be nights like Monday when they signed Daniel Carcillo as a free agent. Carcillo's aggressiveness got the best of him in the second period when he shoved Edmonton defenseman Tom Gilbert into the end boards, earning a five-minute penalty for boarding and a game misconduct. The Hawks led 1-0 at the time, but the Oilers scored 2 power-play goals during Carcillo's major. “That kind of changed the momentum of the game,” Patrick Kane said following the 4-3 loss to the Oilers at the United Center. That it did. Even though the Hawks tied the game again 2-2, they likely win if Carcillo doesn't do what he did.