BUFFALO – Though he understood the need to protect goaltenders, Nazem Kadri said he was a little surprised to receive a three-game suspension for his collision with Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom. Jordan Ellis Jersey . "I didnt quite realize the length was going to be something like this," said Kadri from First Niagara Center in Buffalo on Friday morning. "I maybe thought a fine or a game or two [games] max." Kadri wont be eligible to return until Nov. 21 against Nashville, further hampering the Leafs situation at centre ice. Already forced to move James van Riemsdyk to the middle with Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland both out, the suspension to Kadri could not come at a more precarious time. "Id have to say this is a new one," Randy Carlyle said with a nervous laugh ahead of a home-and-home set with the Sabres. "You have plan A, B, C and D in the drawer and I think were at E and F right now." Those plans will include 28-year-old Trevor Smith, who rejoined the Leafs from the Marlies following a game in Cleveland on Thursday night. Smith, the Marlies captain, has 12 points in seven AHL games, but had been plugged exclusively on a fourth line in previous stints with the club. "We cant expect Trevor Smith to come up at put him on our fourth line," said Carlyle. "Its unfair to him in this situation. When we had other people ahead of him, we had Bozak, we had Bolland, its a little bit different, but in tonights situation hes going to play a prominent role in an offensive line." Smith joins an unlikely group at centre that includes van Riemsdyk, Jay McClement and Jerred Smithson, who was just inked by the organization to an NHL contract last week.  Among the leagues most potent groups at even-strength last season, the Leafs have struggled at times to generate offence this season. Over the past four games – three losses – theyve managed just one even-strength goal, a Joffrey Lupul marker in a 3-1 loss to Boston. Second on the team with 14 points, Kadris absence wont help to address the deficiency. "Thats really the most disappointing part is knowing that were short some guys and really I cant do anything to help, but just play the waiting game right now," Kadri said. Kadri had just deflected a shot on goal from Lupul early in the first period Wednesday night before he forcefully bumped a startled Backstrom with arms extended in the Minnesota crease. Later ejected for a thunderous neutral zone hit on Mikael Granlund, the 23-year-old called the collision with Backstrom accidental, but understood the NHLs recent mandate to increase protection for goaltenders. "I was just trying to go to the net hard to make a play and just ran out of real estate and accidentally bumped into him," said Kadri, who had a hearing with NHL Senior VP of player safety Brendan Shanahan on Thursday afternoon. It was here in Buffalo that an increased mandate for such protection started. Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller was bowled over by Bruins forward Milan Lucic in 2011, leading NHL general managers to request that Shanahan take further action. "I think the temperature of that has changed over the last two years," said Carlyle, acknowledging the role of general managers and ownership around the league. Backstrom was concussed as a result of the incident with Kadri, driving the decision toward a three-game sit-down. "Its definitely understandable," said Kadri, professing hope that Backstrom was okay. "I know theyve kind of cracked down on the interference with the goaltenders and players [have] got to be aware of their surroundings now. That being said, it was unintentional." Bobby Hart Jersey . "Canada," Bolland said with a smile. "Is that a question?" One day earlier, though, fellow Toronto Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri wasnt so sure his home and native land could pull off the win against the United States in the semi-finals of the Olympic hockey tournament. Hunter Sharp Jersey .Boston beat the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Tuesday night and celebrated consecutive wins for the first time in more than a month.The Calgary Flames will try to keep their place among the top teams in the Western Conference tonight when they host the always-tough Chicago Blackhawks. The Flames (12-6-2) are coming off Tuesdays 4-3 shootout win over Anaheim to pull within one point of the Ducks for the Wests best record. Calgary rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period en route to a third straight win and seventh in nine games. The Flames have already won four times when trailing after two periods, matching their total from last season. Weve done a good job this year so far of sticking to our game and when we havent had the first and second period that wed like weve found a way to find our legs in the third, said Dennis Wideman, who scored twice. Its a big win for us because it gives the young guys the confidence to know they can go up against the best and we can win games. Wideman, who is tied for the NHL lead for goals by a defenceman at seven, recorded his first of the season against Chicago last month. The Flames will be without David Jones (upper body) and Kris Russell (lower body) against Chicago. Both are listed by the club as day-to-day. Andrew Shaw will not be in the lineup for Chicago with an upper-body injury. The Blackhawks (10-7-1) are searching for consistency in several areas as they open a six-game road trip while the circus moves into the United Center. But they look just fine in goal with Corey Crawford and his steady, even-keeled approach. I think his focus has been excellent every day on the ice, practice days as well, Quenneville said after practice on Wednesday. He really seems like hes concentrating on the next shot, the next situation. His preparations been excellent. The next challenge for Crawford is helping make up for the loss of rookie defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, who broke his left kneecap when he took a puck off his leg during Sundays 6-2 victory over Dallas. The 23-year-old van Riemsdyk will have surgery on Thursday and is expected to be sidelined for three to four months. Van Riemsdyk had been a pleasant surprise for Chicago, playing mostly with David Rundblad or Michal Rozsival on the third defensive pairing. Adam Clendening was promoted from the minors on Tuesday and likely will make his NHL debut on the upcoming road trip. Quenneville could slot Clendening into van Riemdsyks spot, or he might tinker withh his top four defensemen to spread out his most reliable players. Brad Lundblade Jersey. The Blackhawks also are playing without forward Patrick Sharp, who had a team-high 34 goals last season and is out with a lower-body injury. The team said Sharp would miss three to four weeks after he was hurt Nov. 4, and Quenneville has stuck with that timeline when asked about the winger. Crawford, 29, missed six games earlier this season with an upper-body injury, but he has started every game since his return. He likely will shoulder much of the load on the road trip, which begins with a Canadian swing and closes with stops in Colorado, Anaheim and Los Angeles. The challenging stretch comes at an important time for the Blackhawks, who have won three of four after a slump of six losses in nine games. Nashville and St. Louis are off to a strong start in the Central, and Chicago also needs to make up ground in the Western Conference. The circus trip has been kind to the Blackhawks in the past. They went 6-1 on the trip last season to improve to 22-11-4 on the circus run since captain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane entered the league in the 2007-08 season. Theres a lot of experience and guys that have been through these situations. A lot of us have been on these long road trips, said Kane, who turned 26 on Wednesday. We enjoy them. We have fun with them. Its fun to spend time with the guys. Like I said before, it makes all that better when you win games. Chicago hasnt enjoyed much success in Calgary, though, going 2-4-1 there since the start of the 2010-11 season. Its been an especially tough place for Toews, who hasnt scored in 15 games in Calgary - including the playoffs. The Blackhawks had a season-high 50 shots on goal at home against the Flames on Oct. 15, but only Shaw scored in a 2-1 overtime loss. Mikael Backlund beat Crawford for the winner on Calgarys 18th shot. 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