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Blackhawks Thu Feb 17 2011
Hawks Win is Good for Coach's Health
Blackhawks' fans held their breath yesterday after news broke Wednesday morning that Hawks' head coach Joel Quenneville had been hospitalized.
According to team doctors, Quenneville went to the emergency room late Tuesday night suffering from "gastrointestinal bleeding". The coach was admitted and diagnosed with a small ulcer caused from aspirin -- not a surprising cause considering the Hawks' performance the past month.
The team went on without him to beat the Minnesota Wild 3-1 on Wednesday. While Quenneville watched the must-win game from his hospital bed, he was replaced by assistant coaches Mike Haviland and Mike Kitchen.
Although the Hawks' gave fans serious deja vu when they blew their 1-0 lead in the second period, a solid performance by Corey Crawford (17 saves in the first) and third period goals by Troy Brouwer and Jake Dowell ended the game with a victory.
Unfortunately, the Wild still remain one point -- and one place in the Western Conference standings -- ahead of the Hawks.
Haviland told ESPN that he spoke with Quenneville on the phone after the game, and that he seemed to be "in good spirits." Haviland also said the coach was "very, very pleased" with the game.
The Hawks' face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, who are just behind them in the fight for the conference top eight.
Friday's faceoff is another major game for the Blackhawks, with another win not only necessary to advance in the standings, but for Quenneville's sake.