Jonathan Toews out again as Hawks brace for new-look Panthers

The Blackhawks returned to the United Center on Tuesday, but they once again took the ice without Jonathan Toews, who will miss his third straight game Tuesday night with an undisclosed upper-body injury.

Toews was injured after an awkward fall along the boards San Jose last Wednesday and hasn’t skated since. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville, who has been deeming Toews “day to day” for nearly a week now, said his captain hasn’t had a setback, but that he’s “the same.” A source said it was not a concussion.

Quenneville said Toews was still questionable for Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

“You’d like to get him back on the ice,” Quenneville said. “As soon as you see him on the ice, you’ve got an idea he’s close to playing. Jonny wants to be out there in the worst way, so we’ll do everything we can to get him back.”

With Toews out, the Hawks beat the Anaheim Ducks and salvaged a point in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

Firing fallout

The Panthers have been taking heat for firing coach Gerard Gallant on Sunday night, and for the images of Gallant waiting for a cab outside PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., after being dumped during a road trip. Interim coach Tom Rowe, Florida’s general manager, said the images were misleading, and that he was with Gallant for “30 to 35 minutes” outside, and had inquired about a car service to pick him up.

“Yeah, I know how it looked,” Rowe said. “It didn’t look great. But that was not how it went down.”

Former Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell said he was “shocked” by the firing of Gallant, who was the runner-up for the Jack Adams Trophy last year as coach of the year after leading the Panthers to the Atlantic Division title.

“I didn’t know that it was that bad of a situation,” Campbell said. “I really like Gerard, I think he’s a good coach, I thought he was fair. He did some really good things for that organization.”

Roster report

Michal Kempny was a healthy scratch for the third time in four games, with Michal Rozsival playing for the fourth time in six games (he played just four times in the first 18. Jordin Tootoo returned to the lineup after suffering an apparent foot injury blocking a shot in Anaheim. Andrew Desjardins was scratched for the fourth time in six games.