The game changed midway through the second period when Jujhar Khaira took a hit up high from Jacob Trouba just inside the Blackhawks blue line. The forward immediately fell to the ice and remained there for several minutes while medical personnel attended to him and then stretchered him off the ice.
Khaira was taken to Northwestern Hospital to undergo further testing, but was responsive and alert.
"It's never something you want to see with any player, doesn't matter who it is, the other team or your team," King said postgame. "But he's up. He's talking. He's very responsive. He's done some tests already but he has some more tests to be done, so we won't know the extent of the injury until after these tests. He's still at the hospital right now, but he's talking, he's coherent. Scary situation to see."
The Blackhawks had a few chances on a power play opportunity a few minutes later, but the mindset of the team was obviously -- and rightly -- shaken at what had transpired, and largely couldn't find the same level the rest of the night.
"Personally, I was pretty shaken, not going to lie to you," Toews said. "Just glad to hear he's doing OK… I think we were trying to find that emotion to respond the right way. We could've had a better response as a team, but yeah, I think the guys felt that one a little bit."
The Rangers capitalized on an early power play of their own early in the third period and then netted three more in the final eight minutes of the game, including an empty netter, to take the game by the lopsided final.
"After [the Rangers' go-ahead goal], it just took the wind out of our sails," King said. "The way we were going, we just didn't have that extra jam to have a pushback."
