Corey Crawford concussed following brutal collision vs. Sharks

While the Blackhawks lost 7-3 to the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, most of the focus was on netminder Corey Crawford.

The veteran netminder was forced to exit the game in the opening period after getting bulldozed by teammate Dylan Strome.

The Chicago newcomer was tracking down opposing forward Logan Couture on a breakaway and ended up running into his own netminder. Crawford appeared to hit his head on the post after being ran over.

Here’s a look at the sequence:

After the game, Head Coach Jeremy Colliton confirmed Crawford has been diagnosed with a concussion.

This is brutal news for the Blackhawks and Crawford.

The Blackhawk’s starting netminder missed the final 47 games of 2017-18 and the first five games of this season with a concussion. He made his season debut on Oct. 18 and has started 23 games for the struggling Blackhawks this year.

The 33-year-old has struggled in his limited action this season, seeing his save percentage drop to .902 after hovering around the .920 range since he became a full-time starter in 2010-11.

This injury looked awful and there’s reason for real concern here. Crawford’s last concussion was very severe and his long-term health and well-being should be a priority.

Given that the Blackhawks sit at the bottom of the Central Division standings with a lackluster 26 points, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if they shut down Crawford for the season pending further evaluation.