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Hawks hope Seabrook OK after another blow to head

There isn't a tougher or more durable player on the Blackhawks than Brent Seabrook.

Now the Hawks are hoping Seabrook will be able to recover quickly from another blow to the head.

Seabrook left Sunday's 4-2 win over Calgary — the 600th of coach Joel Quenneville's career — late in the first period when he was run from behind into the boards by Flames winger Rene Bourque.

Seabrook had his head driven into the glass by Bourque, who faces a possible suspension in addition to being assessed a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct.

Quenneville said following the game that Seabrook's condition was “not bad” and that he hoped the defenseman could make the trip to Pittsburgh for Tuesday's game against the Penguins.

“I just talked to him and he seemed OK,” Quenneville said.

“I think Seabs is doing a lot better and doing pretty good,” defense partner Duncan Keith said. “Bourque is not a dirty player, but obviously (Seabrook) was in a tough position there.”

Hawks captain Jonathan Toews wasn't happy with the hit by Bourque.

“When a guy has his back turned and you have more speed than him, it comes down to respect,” Toews said. “Head shots and head injuries aren't going anywhere if we're going keep making plays like that, and that goes for everybody around the entire league.”

Seabrook has suffered three previous concussions, two coming in the 2009-10 Stanley Cup season — but he bounced back quickly each time.

ŸLast April, Seabrook missed only two playoff games after taking a vicious elbow to the head by Vancouver's Raffi Torres in Game 3 of the first-round series with the Canucks at the UC.

ŸIn March of 2010, Seabrook missed just two games after Anaheim's James Wisniewski left his feet and ran the defenseman's head into the glass at the Honda Center.

Wisniewski's hit was one of the dirtiest in recent years and earned him an eight-game suspension.

ŸIn October 2009, Seabrook sat for two games after suffering a concussion.

Seabrook has missed only nine games in the last six seasons, including four earlier this year with a left leg injury.

The remaining five defensemen sucked it up without Seabrook and played well, led by Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Keith played almost 29 minutes and had an assist and 3 blocked shots while Hjalmarsson scored his first goal of the season and blocked 3 shots. Nick Leddy played 25 minutes, Steve Montador had a goal in 18 minutes of ice time and John Scott was plus-2.

“It's different when you get a guy hurt during a game,” Hjalmarsson said. “Pretty much you get a new d-man to play with every shift. It takes a little toll on the body, but the forwards did a good job getting the puck deep so we could change pretty quick.”

Ray Emery made 22 saves and Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa added power-play goals as the Hawks (21-8-4) won their fifth straight to move back into first place in the Western Conference and NHL overall standings with 46 points.

“I thought we did some good things for the most part,” Quenneville said.