Toews, Seabrook could return Saturday
CHICAGO -- Joel Quenneville said Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook could play on Saturday, though their status is still being evaluated after leaving Wednesday night's game in the third period.
Neither player practiced Thursday, but "Seabs and Johnny both presented well today," Quenneville said afterward. "They progressed well overnight, so it's encouraging in those regards."
Although the Blackhawks won't specify the injuries more than upper body, they are of the "wind-knocked-out-of-them" variety. Whether either suffered a diagnosed concussion was not revealed.
Quenneville confirmed after watching the tape that the hit on Toews by Vancouver's Willie Mitchell was clean. Seabrook fell hard in his own zone while killing off one of the third-period power plays by the Canucks.
Quenneville also said the response by Kris Versteeg is one "that we can debate for a long time" but he is the Blackhawks captain and "you have to stick up for each other." He knows teams will take their runs at the Chicago's top players.
"[Getting run] can happen but at the same time we don't want these things occurring regularly," Quenneville said.
In other news from practice, Brian Campbell took some responsibility for the game-winning goal coming on a turnover between him and Patrick Kane. "I have to get on that guy a little quicker [after the turnover] and shut down the play," Campbell said. "Maybe you realize it's three minutes left in a [tie] game and make sure you get pucks out of your zone."
Antti Niemi thinks the winning goal was one he could have played different. Mikael Samuellson jumped on the turnover and scored from a similar area that the game-tying score came from off the stick of Michael Grabner. "That was the thing that I was thinking about," Niemi said. "They were from the same angle and that second one I think I was overplaying it because of the other [tying goal]. I should have shown more patience."
Andrew Ladd, Duncan Keith and Dave Bolland did not practice Thursday, a "maintenance day," according to Quenneville.
Jesse Rogers covers the Blackhawks for ESPNChicago.com.


