Darling making a name for himself in Crawford's absence

No Corey Crawford, no problem.

Since Chicago's two-time Stanley Cup champion starter hit the shelf with an appendectomy Dec. 3, Scott Darling has filled in more than admirably for the Central Division leading Blackhawks.

Darling is 7-2-2 this season, and in his last five starts, he's simply been lights out.

The recent run is a small sample size, but in 56 appearances over his NHL career, Darling is 28-14-6 with a 2.28 goals against average and .924 save percentage, making his pending unrestricted free agency all the more interesting.

While Crawford is due back before the month's end, if Darling remains in the zone, head coach Joel Quenneville might be hard pressed to take the crease away from the 27-year-old.

Following the win over the Rangers Tuesday, Darling was asked about his upcoming UFA status.

Darling owns a salary of $587,500, second-lowest among Blackhawks' regulars. However, he's playing his way into the conversation, and potentially a lucrative new contract.