After a 3-0 start in which he played well in two of the games, Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford has been sent to Rockford of the AHL. GM Stan Bowman says the reason is simple–Crawford has played too well.
“Let’s face it,” Bowman said. “Nobody expected this coming out of the lockout. We jump out to a 3-0 start, now I’ve got the other general managers mad at me and Gary [Bettman] calling me to remind me that the NFL is so popular because of parity and all that. It’s a headache.”
Bowman cited Crawford’s 2.0 goals against average and .927 save percentage as being a bit too good, but when reporters who stuck around after the announcement pressed him further, he offered a different perspective.
“The truth of the matter is, it’s hard enough to babysit Patrick [Kane] over a condensed 48-game season,” Bowman sighed. “We all looked at each other in the office and tried to figure out who wanted to watch him during a long playoff run, and then during the parade, and then he’d want to speak at the celebration with the cup … In the end, we decided it’s best for everyone that the Blackhawks miss the playoffs this year.”
