Anisimov collects 4 points, leads Blackhawks over Stars
DALLAS - Artem Anisimov had a short-handed goal and three assists, and the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks beat the Dallas Stars 5-1 on Saturday night.
Corey Crawford made 36 saves for the Blackhawks, who moved five points ahead of second-place Dallas in the Central Division.
The teams also have the two highest point totals in the Western Conference. They will meet three more times - twice in Chicago (including Thursday) and once in Dallas.
Brent Seabrook, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Marian Hossa scored on Antti Niemi to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead after one period. Kari Lehtonen replaced Niemi in the second.
The Blackhawks' Patrick Kane scored his league-leading 32nd goal in the second period.
Niklas Hjalmarsson and Artemi Panarin each had two assists.
Tyler Seguin scored the Stars' goal at 17:46 of the first period.
Hossa's goal was also short-handed. Seabrook scored on the power play.
Lehtonen made 13 saves, and Niemi had eight.
Dallas was unable to quiet the transplanted Blackhawks fans in a sellout crowd.
Stars defenseman John Klingberg was called for hooking just 29 seconds into the game. Anisimov won the faceoff, the puck went to Seabrook and he sent a slap shot past Niemi 34 seconds in.
Van Riemsdyk gave Chicago a 2-0 lead with the teams skating 4-on-4 at 16:26. Panarin's shot from inside the blue line rebounded high off Niemi's chest. Van Riemsdyk gathered the puck low in the left circle and shot it into the net.
Seguin scored from the right side of the Blackhawks' net when Jamie Benn's shot off the left goalpost caromed behind Crawford to Seguin.
Chicago scored its second short-handed goal at 12:39 of the second. Anisimov picked up a loose puck, beat two defenders across the blue line and sent a wrist shot in the lower left of the net past Lehtonen. It was Anisimov's third short-handed goal this season.
Kane scored at 17:24 with the rebound of a shot by Anisimov.
NOTES: Toews' first-period assist was the 300th of his NHL career. ... Niemi started his season-high sixth straight game. ... Chicago D Duncan Keith has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his last 10 games vs. Dallas. ... Blackhawks RW Andrew Shaw played in his 300th game. ... Chicago had been 1 for 19 on the power play in its last seven games before Seabrook scored. ... The Stars had power-play goals in three of their previous four games, but went 0 for 6 with the two goals allowed on Saturday.