
Connor Murphy left the game with an upper-body injury in the 6-3 win against the Ottawa Senators and did not return. The Chicago Blackhawks defenseman is traveling back with the Blackhawks, interim head coach Derek King said after the game.
Murphy was stretchered off the ice in the first period after Senators forward Parker Kelly hit him hard into the boards. As he was leaving the ice, Murphy gave a thumbs-up to the crowd.
Kelly received a five-minute major for boarding from the officials.
Murphy has four goals and six assists through 56 games played during the 2021-22 season.
(Photo: Darcy Finley / NHLI via Getty Images)
How big of a loss is Murphy for the Blackhawks
Mark Lazerus, Blackhawks beat writer: Murphy isn't having the best season of his career, but he's established himself as the Blackhawks' most reliable shutdown defender over the past couple of seasons, and his absence certainly will be felt. With Murphy presumably out a while, and Calvin de Haan likely to be traded before the March 21 deadline, Chicago will be missing its two best defensive defensemen. That'll put pressure on Jake McCabe, who has struggled for much of his first season with the Blackhawks, to play a larger shutdown role.
Advertisement
Who steps up?
Lazerus: Interim coach Derek King has been playing the Blackhawks' bevy of young defensive prospects more as the season has gone on, and with nothing else to play for this season, those guys figure to get a longer look over the final six weeks of the season. So look for Jakub Galvas, Alec Regula and Isaak Phillips to get more games. And maybe Wyatt Kalynuk, Ian Mitchell and Nicolas Beaudin, who've been stuck in Rockford nearly all season, will get another NHL look before the AHL playoff begin.
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k2pvamxga3xzfJFrZmlrX2aAcK7LmpqkoJGsuLR5wqilp6eiYrq2vs%2BhsGanpal6uLXToWSuqKCav26uzp2wZqGen8KzxYysq6udpJi1pr7EnWSonpZitqSxjK%2BqZquVo661u9GsZg%3D%3D