As the Chicago Blackhawks continue on their historic point streak, there has been a small hitch to the ride. If the Blackhawks are going to make history, they will have to do it without forward Patrick Sharp. Sharp suffered a separated shoulder Wednesday and he will miss the team's game against Colorado on Friday.
TSN is reporting that Sharp suffered a severe AC joint shoulder separation. Sharp suffered the injury during the Blackhawk's come-from-behind win against the Avalanche on Wednesday after he was hit into the boards by Ryan O'Byrne. He played 15:59 in the 3-2 victory. Wednesday's game saw numerous injuries for the Blackhawks. Adrew Shaw left the game with an elbow injury and Marian Hossa is now out with an upper body injury.
Losing Sharp could put the Blackhawks' point streak in jeopardy. He has played in all 24 games this season, registering five goals and 13 assists. It is expected that he will likely miss three weeks to a month with the injury. The Blackhawks have plenty of depth in their lineup but losing one of the team's top players is not an easy replacement. Chicago will call up Brandon Bollig from the American Hockey League. Bollig has zero points and 40 penalty minutes in 11 games with the Blackhawks this season. He is normally called up in wake of a severe injury.
The Blackhawks will face the Avalanche on Friday in Colorado and attempt to extend their point streak to 25 games to start the season. They have 31 points stretching back to the end of the 2011-12 season. Chicago sits on top of the Western Conference and are looking to enter into the playoffs as the number one seed in the conference. While they are a lock to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs, where the top seed is important. The team will need a healthy Sharp, not only to continue the streak, but to win a championship.
