The Blackhawks face the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, and they’ll do so without captain Jonathan Toews.
Toews will miss a fifth straight game because of a reported back injury.
On Sunday, per CSN Chicago, coach Joel Quenneville provided an update, saying the Blackhawks forward will now be kept off the ice for the next few days because the injury essentially isn’t getting any better.
Q said Toews skated "a little bit this morning. We'll keep him off and get a better assessment in the middle of the week." #Blackhawks
— Tracey Myers (@Tramyers_NHL) December 4, 2016
The Blackhawks are coming off a 3-1 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, and they’re going through a difficult time with injuries to key players. Not only is Toews out, but goalie Corey Crawford has been sidelined for two to three weeks after undergoing an appendectomy.
Scott Darling will start in net tonight for Chicago, which has a three-point lead in the Central Division.
The Jets will be without their top point producer Mark Scheifele for a second straight game with a lower-body injury, per NHL.com.