Chicago Blackhawks fans got a bit of a scare when they saw star Patrick Kane leave Wednesday's game in the second period, but the team's caution may have kept him from suffering. a bigger injury.

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After his men lost 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, head coach Luke Richardson said Kane was hit in the lower body. One streak in particular caught the eye two days earlier, during a visit from the San Jose Sharks. The American was tackled hard by Evgeny Svechnikov at the end of the game and had to chase away the pain on the bench.

On Thursday, Richardson explained that the winger did not participate in the “Hawks” on-ice training to practice on the sidelines.

"It was a gym workout for him today to allow him to rest and relax," the former defenseman told NBC Sports Chicago. [...] If he is doing well and the pain goes away and he feels good tomorrow [Friday], he will definitely try to play, then that's good.

The Blackhawks host the Arizona Coyotes at United Center on Friday night, and Kane's presence or absence will be confirmed prior to the game. It was the young Lukas Reichel who took his place to the right of Max Domi on the team's first unit in training.

The 34-year-old veteran has 27 points in 37 games this season. The Blackhawks are last in the National Hockey League standings with eight wins and 20 points.