Anisimov has goal, 3 assists; Blackhawks beat Stars 5-1
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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 Chicago, which 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.
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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.
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Tyler Seguin scored the Stars' goal at 17:46 of the first period.
Hossa's goal also was short-handed. Seabrook scored on the power play.
Lehtonen made 13 saves, and Niemi had eight.
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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.
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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.
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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.