Injuries to Patrick Kane and Derrick Rose hinder Chicago’s teams
Chicago sports fans will be without two of their most precious superstars for the foreseeable future. Patrick Kane and Derrick Rose, two significantly important pieces to the championship aspirations of both the Blackhawks and Bulls, have gone down with injuries. Both stars acquired injuries that could significantly impact their teams, as both have held tremendous roles in successful seasons thus far. Coincidently, both injuries occurred on Feb. 24.
Patrick Kane
The 26-year-old right winger for the Blackhawks suffered a fractured clavicle, after a hit by Florida Panthers defenceman Alex Petrovic during a game at the United Center on Feb. 24. It is expected that Kane will miss approximately 10 weeks after undergoing successful surgery. The 10 week time table will likely see Kane miss the remainder of the regular season for the Blackhawks. Kane was leading the NHL in points at the time of the injury, collecting 64 points over 61 games.
With the Blackhawks comfortably positioned in a playoff position in the NHL’s Western Conference, the real impacts of this injury will be felt in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If Kane fails to return to the line-up before the mid-April launch of this year’s playoffs, Chicago may have a tough time avoiding elimination. Kane is a proven playoff performer, with a Conn Smythe trophy and an impressive 91 points in 93 games.
Led by captain Jonathan Toews, the Blackhawks’ depth will be tested, with time telling how far they can go without their leading scorer.
Derrick Rose
Former MVP point guard for the Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose was diagnosed with yet another knee complication. Rose has a torn meniscus in his right knee, a repeat of the injury that ended his season last year. Rose has now had three serious knee injuries, including an ACL tear to his left knee in the 2012 NBA playoffs. Ever since his ACL tear, Rose has struggled to return to his superstar form, consistently being hindered by the health issues.
On a positive note, Rose is only expected to miss four-to-six weeks with this meniscus tear. It has been reported that this injury is much less severe than the meniscus tear he suffered one season ago. Rose has already begun his rehab after successful surgery, and hopes to be back in time for a playoff run by the Chicago Bulls. This injury was suffered during a practice.
Although Rose will be dearly missed by the Bulls, he has struggled to find his MVP form since his first knee injury. His unfortunate history of knee injuries has left many wondering if we will ever see the MVP glare from Rose again in his career. Rather quietly, Rose is currently second on the team with 18.4 points per game and leads the team with five assists per game, which goes to show his on-court capabilities with less than stellar health.
Playoff dreams
Thankfully for Chicago fans, it appears that both the Bulls and Blackhawks will comfortably make the playoffs this season. The injuries to Kane and Rose, however, pose a serious risk to their playoff longevities. It appears Rose will be back before Kane, but Rose’s history with injuries and Kane’s extended injury timeframe make Chicago’s run for an NBA or NHL championship quite uneasy. It is certain that the return of these two superstar talents will boost their teams significantly.