Corey Crawford is ready for action.
That’s the word out of Chicago on Thursday as the ‘Hawks goalie announced he’s been cleared to return after sitting out the last three games.
Crawford was out with an upper-body injury -- as to what the injury was and when it happened, well, your guess is as good as any.
The 28-year-old ‘tender wouldn’t tell reporters whether he had a concussion or not. Earlier, head coach Joel Quenneville offered shifty responses upon being asked when Crawford got hurt, saying it was either in last Tuesday’s game versus Anaheim or during last Thursday’s practice.
In related news, forward Marian Hossa returned to practice today after leaving Tuesday’s game against Vancouver with an apparent head injury due to a collision with Canucks forward Jannik Hansen.
According to the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Kuc, Hossa “passed some concussion tests today and will undergo more tomorrow” before deciding if he’ll play Friday against the Sharks.
As for Crawford, he won’t be returning to the pipes tomorrow night when the ‘Hawks take on the Sharks at the United Center. Ray Emery will make his fourth straight start.