Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford skates for third straight day

Goalie Corey Crawford looked as though he wanted to stand between the pipes and take a few live shots from the few Blackhawks who had wandered over to the auxiliary rink at MB Ice Arena to get loose before practice Monday. But after a quick chat with goaltending coach Jimmy Waite in the crease, Crawford was off to the dressing room.

They’re baby steps so far, but they’re significant ones. It was Crawford’s third consecutive day on the ice after nearly six weeks off. He hasn’t played since Dec. 23.

Crawford is working his way back from a head injury. Once he’s in a full practice setting, it might be just a couple of days before he returns to game action. But coach Joel Quenneville made it sound like Crawford is still several days away — at best — from returning to practice.

Asked if he’s wary about rushing Crawford back despite the Hawks’ dire situation in the standings, Quenneville said there’s still no set timetable.

‘‘With anyone’s recovery, there’s always a process that’s in place,’’ he said. ‘‘You always want to push it as much as you can. When it’s time, it’s time. You want to make sure you’re 100 percent ready to go.’’

On Monday morning, Crawford worked at about half-speed with Waite, taking soft shots and working on handling the puck behind the net.

‘‘He’s working on it; he’s getting better,’’ Hawks goalie Anton Forsberg said. ‘‘He’s obviously on the ice right now, getting in shape, so that’s good.’’

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Email: mlazerus@suntimes.com