Blackhawks' Anisimov recovering from high ankle sprain

Artem Anisimov's agent said the injury the Blackhawks center suffered at Montreal on March 14 was a high ankle sprain.

A high ankle sprain occurs when the interosseous membrane, which extends between the interosseous crests of the tibia and fibula, gets pulled apart. Depending on the severity, recovery time can be anywhere from 1-6 months.

Anisimov missed the final 13 games of the regular season and was ineffective in four Stanley Cup playoff games against Nashville.

Asked about the injury Saturday, coach Joel Quenneville said: "As far as what he was dealing with painwise or injury-wise, probably wasn't too bad. But … it's a tough injury to come back from to be at your regular effectiveness.

"He was limited in some ways as far as his quickness and his strength. It's one of those that, hey, we needed him because he's very important in what he brings and what he can do for us. But he was limited in some ways."

Anisimov failed to convert on several prime scoring chances in Game 1 and he won just 7 of 38 faceoffs in Games 2-4.

"It's a nagging injury that takes a long time to heal and get back to 100 percent," said Todd Diamond, Anisimov's agent. "Being away for that time period and coming right back into the playoffs, obviously you're not as sharp as you want to be."