The Chicago Blackhawks took a significant hit as forward Patrick Sharp is out indefinitely after sustaining a lower-body injury in the team's 5-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday.
Sharp left the game after having to be helped off the ice by teammate Niklas Hjalmarsson following a hit by Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin with 13:05 remaining in the game.
"Sharp is probably going to be out for a bit," coach Joel Quenneville told NHL.com, "We'll know more in the next day or so. We'll see."
While the injury to one of their best players is a tough blow for the Blackhawks, captain Jonathan Toews believes other players now have a chance to step up.
"It's never easy, but we've been through it before," Toews said. "It's unfortunate for [Sharp]. He's been playing well. He's always a big part of our offense and he's been really great in getting shots off and creating on the power play. I guess whenever you have an injury to a key player, a guy like [Sharp], it's in a way an opportunity for some other guys to get more ice time and I think guys will try and step in and make up for that as much as they can, but as a team we have to be prepared to fill that void."
Sharp had an assist on Tuesday before the injury and has three goals to go along with six helpers to rank tied for second on the team with nine points on the season.
Sharp, 32, led Chicago with 34 goals and 78 points last season while adding 34 assists.
The Blackhawks are off to a 7-5-1 start (15 points) and sit in fourth place in the Central Division. Chicago snapped a two-game losing streak Tuesday and next hosts the Washington Capitals (4-5-3) on Friday.
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