Blackhawks' Corey Crawford: Will start Friday against Colorado

Crawford (illness) will start between the pipes in Friday's home game against the Avalanche, Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago reports.

Analysis:

Friday will represent Crawford's first start in goal since he faced shots from the visiting Devils on Dec. 1, so the Canadian netminder will likely have some rust to shake off. Backup goaltender Scott Darling performed admirably during Crawford's lengthy absence, posting a 6-3-1 record with a 2.12 GAA and .930 save percentage over 10 appearances -- a performance that has likely earned the American backstop a larger share of the team's starts in net going forward. Crawford will hope to show he's still the Blackhawks' best option in goal in a highly favorable matchup with an Avalanche team that's only averaging 2.10 goals per game, last in the NHL.