Steve Montador is going on the trip and could play, and Marcus Kruger will be back in the lineup when the Blackhawks play the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night in Newark.
Jonathan Toews skated for the seventh consecutive day. And while hes not yet cleared for contact, he feels hes getting closer to that point. He still is hesitant to point to a specific return game. Coach Joel Quenneville said it was another positive sign for him on Monday, though.
Theres progress there; he feels better about where hes going, Quenneville said. He adds more each day, feels stronger, his attitudes been good. Hes getting closer. Well have a better idea when hes inserted into some contact (drills).
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For Montador, just the possibility of playing on Tuesday is encouraging. Montador has not played since Feb. 7 against Colorado.
Obviously contact is critical test but the other part is just the game speed, game situations. And todays practice was a good, up-tempo one, Montador said. Im hopeful.
Kruger missed Sunday nights game but was back centering the second line at Mondays practice.
Viktor Stalberg and Andrew Brunette had maintenance day on Monday; both are expected to play tomorrow night. Corey Crawford will start against the Devils. Carter Hutton, who was recalled from Rockford this morning, will travel as the backup goaltender. Ray Emery is day to day with an upper-body injurynot the flu he had last weekand will not travel.
