Chicago Blackhawks top goaltender Corey Crawford was ruled out Friday with an upper-body injury and is considered day to day.
The Hawks recalled goaltender Henrik Karlsson from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.
Crawford missed the morning skate as the team prepared to face the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.
“He’s out for today, day to day, upper body,” coach Joel Quenneville said after Friday’s morning skate. “Didn’t feel great (after Thursday’s) practice. That’s where he’s at.”
When asked if Crawford could play Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings, Quenneville said, “We’ll see.”
Karlsson was at Friday’s practice along with goaltender Ray Emery, who is scheduled to start against the Sharks.
Emery is 3-0-0 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. He made a career-high 45 saves and stopped all three shootout shots in a 3-2 win win against the Calgary Flames on Feb. 2. “The guys have played well no matter who’s in net,” Quenneville said. “They’ve been consistent. I think there’s confidence no matter who’s in the net in both ways this year. I think Ray is coming off another solid game after a spectacular game in Calgary. I think he’s had a real good approach to the season as well. I’m sure he’s excited about playing today as well.”
The 29-year-old Karlsson was acquired from the Flames for a 2013 seventh-round pick on Jan. 21. He had a 2-2-0 record with a 2.23 GAA and a .919 save percentage with the IceHogs this season.
“Well, he’s big,” Quenneville said of the 6-foot-6, 209-pound Karlsson. “He’s got some NHL games under his belt. He looked all right in practice today, too, so he gives us a nice addition to lineup as far as the organization as well when we picked him up a couple weeks ago.”
Karlsson, who is originally from Sweden, played 26 regular-season games with the Flames spanning the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. He was 5-9-8 with a 2.79 GAA and a .905 save percentage with Calgary. After beginning his professional career in the Swedish Elite League, he was signed by the Sharks in 2009 and traded to the Flames in 2010.
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