Corey Crawford concussion: Blackhawks’ Jeremy Colliton moves on with Cam Ward

SHARE Corey Crawford concussion: Blackhawks’ Jeremy Colliton moves on with Cam Ward
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 12: Corey Crawford #50 of the Chicago Blackhawks follows the action against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the United Center on December 12, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775220764

DALLAS — Rather than hold his breath awaiting word on goalie Corey Crawford, the simplest course for Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton is to keep moving along with the guys he has.

There has been no update on Crawford since he suffered a concussion Sunday and went on injured reserve, and Colliton has compartmentalized it to the point that he’s not even sure if Crawford has been at the team facility or at home the last few days.

“With those guys, I know they’re in the concussion protocol,” he said after the morning skate Thursday at American Airlines Center. “When they’re improving, I’ll hear about it. Until then, I’m not going to ask. Having been through that myself, I don’t need to be in the kitchen every day.”

Crawford and center Marcus Kruger are on IR until at least the Dec. 27 game against the Wild. It’s an enormous concern with Crawford because of his stature and concussion history.

Few coaches in the NHL could be as empathic as Colliton, who retired at 29 because of ongoing concussion issues.

“We’re learning more all the time, so that’s good,” he said. “That’s a positive. I think everyone’s doing a better job with awareness and how we handle things, and that can only be a benefit. And hopefully we have more guys playing till the end, playing till their abilities drop off, not because their bodies can’t withstand it anymore.”

Crawford, who came back this season after missing the last 47 games in 2017-18 because of a concussion, had a .902 save percentage and 3.28 goals-against average when he went down.

The Hawks are relying primarily on Cam Ward, who started against the Stars, and recent minor-league call-up Collin Delia. Ward was outstanding in the Hawks’ 2-1 victory Tuesday against the Predators with 30 saves on 31 shots.

Delia on deck

Colliton thinks highly of Delia after coaching him in Rockford this season and says he’s good to go when needed. With the Hawks in the midst of a back-to-back, Delia might make his season debut Friday at Colorado.

The Hawks stuck with Ward against the Stars because of his performance against Nashville, not because they’re slow-playing it with Delia.

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“We believe in him,” Colliton said. “I think he’s going to do a great job when he gets the chance. Ward played great last game, so he deserves a chance to go back in. We’ll go from there.”

Gustafsson can do more

Erik Gustafsson already has a career-high 17 points, fifth on the team and most among Hawks defensemen, but scoring isn’t enough.

As nice as his run of five points in four games has been, his plus-minus during that run has been 0, and he’s at minus-6 for the season. The next step is growing into a bigger defensive presence at the net and making smarter decisions with the puck.

“That’s what’s gonna decide whether he’s gonna become a big-time player or whether he just kinda stays at the level he’s at right now,” Colliton said. “I think he’s gonna respond for our team.”

Gustafsson added to his hot streak with a power-play goal late in the first period against the Stars.

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