That depth will be tested again as one of the league's top rookies takes the United Center ice for the first time Sunday when the Blackhawks face red-hot Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets.
Chicago (16-7-3) returns home after a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. But the loss overshadowed news before the game that Crawford -- a five-time 30-game winner -- will miss up to three weeks after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.
"He's the best goalie in the league, him and Carey Price (of the Montreal Canadiens), you could put them in a category by themselves," backup Scott Darling said of Crawford. "He brings it every night. He's been great for us all year. And he's just a great guy. ... I hope he's getting better. "
The Blackhawks tweeted Saturday evening that Crawford traveled back to Chicago with the team. If Crawford misses three weeks, he could return Dec. 27 at home against Winnipeg. Until then, Chicago is scheduled to play 10 games -- including two matchups with the New York Rangers, who lead the league with 3.64 goals per game through Saturday.
Darling, who hasn't started at home since Nov. 6, is 4-1-1 with a 2.81 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage overall this season. He's won all three starts on Chicago's West Side, despite having allowed 10 goals on 105 shots faced.
Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson isn't worried.
"We have plenty of confidence in (Darling). We all know how well he can play, and I think he's more than ready for an opportunity to play some games in a row," he said. "... I think he's going to be doing a great job as he's been doing, pretty much every time he's been playing for us."
Since a loss in their season opener, Chicago is 10-0-2 at the "Madhouse on Madison," having scored at least four goals seven times. Over those 12 games, Artem Anisimov and Marian Hossa have scored a team-best seven goals for the Blackhawks, and five of Hossa's markers have come in the last five games.
The Blackhawks may need a lot from their offense while the defense has the task of trying to slow down Laine, arguably the Jets' best player -- certainly their most exciting -- since Teemu Selanne. Laine scored a goal and assisted on Bryan Little's game-winner 17 seconds into overtime as Winnipeg (12-13-2) topped the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Saturday.
"It feels good ... but now we have to forget this game and focus on (Sunday)," said Laine as the Jets look for back-to-back road wins for the first time this season.
Laine, taken second overall in June's NHL Draft, shares the NHL lead in goals with Sidney Crosby (16) and leads all rookies in points (23). One of those goals came in a 4-0 victory over the Blackhawks on Nov. 15 in Winnipeg.
So far, Laine has not been as productive playing on the road. In 14 games, the 18-year-old has three goals and five assists, and Winnipeg is 1-5-2 when he fails to register a point away from the MTS Centre.
Saturday's win snapped a six-game road losing streak, and was more impressive as the Jets played without leading scorer Mark Scheifele (13 goals, 13 assists) due to a lower-body injury.
"We don't think this is a long-term (injury) or he wouldn't have taken the morning skate. He wasn't as mobile as he needs to play," Jets coach Paul Maurice said after the win, adding that Scheifele could be in the lineup against the Blackhawks.
Following its relocation from Atlanta in 2011, Winnipeg is 4-4-0 in Chicago, and has been limited to a total of one goal while dropping the last two matches.
"Hopefully we come into Chicago and have some legs (Sunday), that would be another two big points for us," said Little, who has two goals and an assist in two games after missing 23 with a lower-body injury.
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