DETROIT — The last thing the Blackhawks want to see is another one of their players out with a concussion after getting elbowed in the head.
But there was center Ryan Johnson getting whacked in the head by the Red Wings’ Todd Bertuzzi Monday at Joe Louis Arena.
Johnson slowly made his off the ice after the elbow and went to the locker room to be examined for a possible concussion. But he returned before the period was over.
Johnson played 13:13 and had a team-high five blocks Monday. He also was the only Hawk to succeed in the faceoff circle, winning 9 of 14.
Bertuzzi was assessed a five-minute elbowing penalty and a game misconduct for the hit.
Here’s the video:
Johnson needed stitches to repair part of his ear after the hit. Bertuzzi also apologized to him after the Hawks prevailed 3-2 in overtime.
“I knew it was a high hit, but I didn’t see it,” Johnson said. “I didn’t think it was malicious or anything. He’s a pretty big guy and I skate pretty low to the ground. I knew I was going to take a hit on the play.
“I’m not going to sit here and judge what it was. I know it wasn’t anything malicious and he was very apologetic and came in here and said ‘sorry.’ That’s it.”
Johnson suffered a concussion earlier in the season and was put on injured reserve after he got his “bell rung pretty good” by the Dallas Stars’ Jeff Woywitka on Feb. 11.
Center Dave Bolland missed his seventh consecutive game Monday and has shown few signs of progress since suffering a concussion when Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina elbowed him in the back of the head on March 9.