Blackhawks, shaken by Andrew Shaw’s ‘terrible’ concussion, collapse against Blue Jackets

The Hawks blew three leads and lost a 6-5 heartbreaker, just hours after Shaw went on injured reserve.

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Kevin Stenlund’s late goal gave the Blue Jackets a 6-5 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday.

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With the weight of a dreaded injury to their most vulnerable player hanging over them, the Blackhawks imploded Thursday in a 6-5 loss to the Blue Jackets.

They did so with Matthew Highmore, not Andrew Shaw, on the fourth line. It could be awhile before Shaw’s scrappy play and jovial personality return to the team.

Shaw suffered a concussion Tuesday, the Hawks announced Thursday, when Stars defenseman Joel Hanley’s elbow caught his face during the second period. He was put on injured reserve.

“It’s a tough situation,” Patrick Kane said. “I hope for the best for him. We’ll reach out and talk to him and see him around the rink. Hopefully it’s a fast recovery.”

In terms of minutes, defenseman Connor Murphy — who also was ruled out 10-14 days with a right hip injury — technically leaves a bigger void. The Hawks dressed seven defensemen and only 11 forwards for the second consecutive game, trying to replace Murphy by committee.

But in terms of long-term health, Shaw’s concussion — his latest of far too many — registers on a different level. Coach Jeremy Colliton was the most shaken he has been during his Hawks coaching tenure when asked about Shaw after the morning skate.

“It’s terrible,” he said, his usual loquacity gone. “Not much more to say than that. Very disappointing.”

The Hawks nonetheless appeared on track to again push through the adversity for another big win. 

Kane and Alex DeBrincat, united on the first line, continued their red-hot streaks with three points each. Defensemen Ian Mitchell and Nicolas Beaudin scored their first NHL goals just 56 seconds apart in the second period, becoming the first Hawks duo since 1989 to do that on the same night. 

Yet, Columbus battled back from 3-1, 4-2 and 5-4 deficits. The Blue Jackets tied the game with 2:41 left and won it with 1:14 left, dealing the Hawks a double dose of heartbreak.

“[There’s] a bad feeling in all our stomachs that one got away from us,” Mitchell said. 

The Jackets outshot the Hawks 43-26 overall, including 35-17 from the first intermission on. Kevin Lankinen also endured a rare off night. Kevin Stenlund’s late winner trickled through Lankinen despite a clean look at the shot.

“We did little things as the game went on that gave them momentum,” Colliton said. “We’ve got to manage the puck better and have some killer instinct in the third period when we have the lead.”

Colliton insisted Shaw’s absence wasn’t an excuse — “You have to separate the two,” he said — but the Hawks could be forgiven if their thoughts did drift to who wasn’t on the bench.

Shaw’s career has been plagued by frequent head injuries. His concussion in November 2019 ended his season and began a “tough and exhausting” stretch laden with headaches and other symptoms.

It took him nearly a year to recover. When he finally returned to the Hawks for training camp last month, he did so with rejuvenated spunk.

Many of the Hawks’ young players, especially Mitchell, talked at length about how Shaw’s playful pranks helped them feel more comfortable in the locker room.

Just a few games ago, however, Shaw ditched the visor he’d started wearing this season for extra protection, saying he hadn’t been able to get used to its effect on his vision.

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