Blackhawks top Canadiens; Anisimov injury not serious
Phew!
That had to be the collective reaction of every single Chicago Blackhawks fan who heard coach Joel Quenneville tell reporters that Artem Anisimov did not suffer a serious injury during Tuesday night's 4-2 victory over host Montreal.
Anisimov was hit by Alexander Radulov and fell awkwardly against the boards in the final seconds of the first period. Ansimov's left leg buckled, and the big Russian was unable to put any weight on the leg as he was helped off the ice.
Quenneville, though, came out and said Anisimov is considered "day to day. It's not (the) serious kind, so we'll see how he does over the next few days."
Anisimov was seen wearing a walking boot leaving Montreal's stadium.
If that wasn't good enough news for fans, the Hawks also leapt over Minnesota and are in first place in the Central Division. Patrick Kane, Johnny Oduya, Artemi Panarin and Jonathan Toews scored for the Hawks, and Corey Crawford made 40 saves to improve to 7-0-2 lifetime against the Canadiens.
Crawford was shaken up when a one-timer by Shea Weber clanked off his mask in the second period. Mike Gapski, the Hawks' head athletic trainer, came out to check on Crawford, but the goalie was deemed OK and stayed in the game.
"I just tried to go out and take the angle away," Crawford said, "and it's too bad he smoked me there."
Kane, who finished with 3 points to give him 76 on the season, is tied with Edmonton's Connor McDavid for the league lead.
With Anisimov out, Marian Hossa moved up to the top line with Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik, while Nick Schmaltz slid down to play second-line center alongside Panarin and Kane. Schmaltz won just 2 of 14 faceoffs, but he did set up Panarin's third-period goal with a gorgeous pass from the sideboards. Without a defender in sight, Panarin walked in on Carey Price and gave the Hawks a 3-0 lead 47 seconds into the third period.
Montreal battled back with a pair of late goals, but Toews' potted an empty netter with 1:18 left, and the Hawks had their 14th victory in 17 games.
Quenneville continues to be impressed with how Schmaltz can slide down and play with Panarin and Kane when called upon.
"I'm very comfortable with him in the middle with those two guys," Quenneville said. "It seems like both times he's stepped in with them in the middle of a game, it looks like he belongs there. It's been a good fit between the three of them. They're dangerous off the rush (and) they see plays."
Kane has 31 goals on the season, while Panarin has 23 and Toews 18. Oduya scored his first goal as a Blackhawk since Jan. 11, 2015, on a blast from just inside the blue line at 10:49 of the second.
The Hawks return to action Thursday at Ottawa, then play at Toronto on Saturday before returning home to face Colorado on Sunday.