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Trending: Kluber, Miller continue domination as Cubs drop Game 1 of World Series. (See the Cubs section for team news and World Series updates).
Trending: Blackhawks get a point but Kris Versteeg wins it for Flames in shootout. (Monday night's game, 10/24/2016). (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
Trending: Blackhawks get a point but Kris Versteeg wins it for Flames in shootout. (Monday night's game, 10/24/2016). (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
Trending: Three quick fixes for some Bears woes while searching for a turnaround. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
Trending: Over-under: Analyzing Bulls' player propositions for 2016-17. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
Trending: The official schedule for the 2016 World Series 
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CUBS: Kluber, Miller continue domination as Cubs drop Game 1 of World Series.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Cubs proved Andrew Miller is not immortal.
Well, sort of.
The Cubs actually put some pressure on the ALCS MVP with the 0.00 career ERA in the postseason, but Miller pitched out of a pair of jams to thwart the Cubs' only true threats.
Behind Miller's Houdini acts and Corey Kluber's pitching, the Indians went on to claim Game 1 6-0 in front of 38,091 fans at Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland.
Kluber was on all night, striking out eight in three innings to set a World Series record. He finished with nine whiffs to set a new Indians postseason record.
The Cubs managed just four hits off Kluber and he didn't walk a batter to lower his 2016 playoff ERA to a ridiculous 0.74.
"We lost, so we just move on," Anthony Rizzo said. "I don't think anyone's really hanging their head. It's just moving on and being ready to go."
Kyle Schwarber launched a double off Kluber in just his second at-bat in the big leagues since April 7, missing a homer by a matter of inches in the fourth inning.
But the Cubs' offense didn't put together a solid threat when Ben Zobrist knocked Kluber out of the game with a leadoff single in the seventh.
Miller came in and promptly walked Schwarber and surrendered an 0-2 hit to Javy Baez to load the bases with nobody out.
The Cubs looked poised to mount a comeback against a guy who had not allowed a run in 20 career postseason innings, including 11.2 scoreless frames this October entering the World Series.
But Miller buckled down, inducing a shallow fly ball from Willson Contreras that wasn't deep enough to score Zobrist before Addison Russell and David Ross struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Cubs challenged Miller again in the eighth when Kris Bryant walked and Zobrist singled for his third hit of the night, but Schwarber whiffed on two massive swings to strike out and end the inning.
Miller may have kept the shutout intact, but the Cubs also forced him to throw 46 pitches, his most since September 2011. That could have an impact later in the series, including Game 2 Wednesday night.
Jon Lester, meanwhile, struggled in the first inning and put the Cubs in an early hole.
After getting two quick outs, the co-NLCS MVP gave up a single to Francisco Lindor, who then stole second base, before walking the next two batters to load the bases.
An infield hit plated one run and then Lester plunked Brandon Guyer with an 0-2 pitch to force in another run.
Lester allowed another run came on a homer from Roberto Perez - a lined shot to left field that hit the railing just above the wall.
Perez broke the game open in the eighth with a three-run blast off Hector Rondon. The backup catcher only had 11 homers in 422 at-bats over three big-league seasons before this October.
"Yeah, listen, I'm not upset whatsoever," Maddon said. "They pitched really well tonight. Jonny pitched - wasn't on top of his game, but really gave us a chance to win. That first inning was unfortunate. Those three runs in the last inning make it look really awful, that six. I mean, Ronnie just hangs a slider and the guy hits a home run.
"Otherwise it's tightly contested, and who knows what happens in the last inning. The six runs makes it look more lopsided. But I have no concerns. I thought we were ready to play. Our guys looked really good. They were great in the dugout today. It's the first game. I'm fine, we're fine.
The Cubs and Indians will square off in Game 2 of the World Series Wednesday night. The game was moved up an hour to 6:08 p.m. Chicago time with a threat of rain in Cleveland.
"It's big," Rizzo said. "We need to win. We need to win every game. It's no bigger than it was this game. Tomorrow will be the biggest game of the year. So will Games 3 and 4."
Five key moments from the Indians' 6-0 win in World Series Game 1.
By Chris Cwik
Who needs a great bullpen when your starting pitching is this good? The Cleveland Indians flipped the script during their 6-0 win against the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the World Series.
Of course, with Corey Kluber on the mound, that’s always a possibility. Kluber turned in a phenomenal performance against a dominant Cubs offense. The 30-year-old tossed six scoreless innings against Chicago, giving up just four hits. Kluber did not walk any hitters and struck out nine during the start.
With Kluber at the top of his game, Indians manager Terry Francona didn’t have to turn to his bullpen until the usual innings. Once he did, they did not disappoint. Andrew Miller entered in the seventh and immediately worked out of a bases-loaded jam.
It was a similar story in the eighth. Miller put two runners on, bringing the potential game-tying run to the plate with two outs. He refused to give in, however, striking out Kyle Schwarber on five pitches.
Cleveland got some cushion in the bottom of the eighth, as Roberto Perez hit a three-run homer against Hector Rondon. With the game safely in hand, Francona turned things over to closer Cody Allen. Allen came through, working around a one-out double to keep the Cubs off the board and give Cleveland the early 1-0 lead in the World Series.
LINDOR SWIPES A BAG
Francisco Lindor remained the catalyst of the Indians’ offense. The 22-year-old shortstop picked up the first hit of the contest, singling against Jon Lester with two outs in the first. At that point, Lindor did what every other team has threatened against Lester this postseason: He stole second base.
That seemed to rattle Lester a bit. The left-hander walked the next two batters, loading the bases. It was the first time all postseason Lester looked vulnerable. With the bases loaded, that set the stage for infielder Jose Ramirez.
RAMIREZ’S WEAK HIT
With Lester on the ropes, Ramirez stepped to the plate hoping to give his club an early lead. On the second pitch of the at-bat, he did just that. Ramirez hit a weak, slow-rolling ground ball to third for an infield hit. The statcast data on the hit wasn’t available, probably because the exit velocity was so low it couldn’t actually be tracked.
But, hey, style points don’t matter, right? It goes down as a single in the box score and it gave Cleveland the early lead. That was all they needed in this one.
KLUBER’S HISTORIC PERFORMANCE
The Chicago Cubs had no answer for the Indians ace in Game 1. Kluber featured a dynamic cut fastball and filthy two-seamer, the latter of which had Cubs batters looking completely lost. He used both pitches to strike out a World Series record eight batters over the first three innings. The eight strikeouts also set an Indians World Series record for a single game. Kluber finished the outing with nine strikeouts over six scoreless innings. Better yet for Cleveland, his 88 pitches should allow him to be relatively fresh for Game 4.
MILLER WORKS OUT OF IT
The Cubs threatened in a big way in the top of the seventh inning. After Ben Zobrist led off the frame with a single, Francona called upon ace reliever Andrew Miller to keep Chicago off the board. For the first time all postseason, Miller looked mortal. He walked Kyle Schwarber, and gave up a single to Javier Baez to load the bases with no outs.
At that point, Miller dug in and rediscovered his postseason form. A shallow fly out to center kept the Cubs from advancing on the base paths. Then, Miller struck out both Addison Russell and David Ross to end the inning. It was the Cubs’ biggest moment of the game, and Miller completely shut them down.
Miller ran into a similar situation in the eighth inning. After Kris Bryant walked and Ben Zobrist singled, Schwarber stepped to the plate representing the game-tying run. Once again, Miller came through. He struck out Schwarber on five pitches to end the inning.
If there’s a silver lining for Chicago, it’s that Miller threw 46 pitches. That could impact his availability for Game 2. Then again, given what we’ve seen from Miller thus far, it’s dangerous to count him out in any situation.
ROBERTO PEREZ GOES YARD AGAIN
With the Indians already up 3-0, catcher Roberto Perez delivered the knockout blow. With two men on in the bottom of the eighth, Perez hit an 84 mph slider from Rondon out to left center to give Cleveland a commanding 6-0 lead. It was Perez’s second home run of the night, which puts him in elite company.
Perez came into the postseason as Cleveland’s forgotten man. You could make the argument he was the team’s third choice to start games in October. Despite that, he’s hit three pretty significant blasts this postseason.
Kyle Schwarber shows why he's a freak of nature who can do some World Series damage for Cubs.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Kyle Schwarber is a freak of nature, a hitter with the hand-eye coordination, explosiveness and guts to do what should be impossible. But it’s a bad sign for the Cubs when a guy who hadn’t seen big-league action in 201 days looked like one of the toughest outs in their World Series lineup.
Now you know why the Cubs believed Schwarber could help get them that championship parade down Michigan Avenue — and how the Cleveland Indians won’t just fade into history’s background as The Other Team. After a 6-0 loss, the question now becomes: How soon will Schwarber be ready to play the outfield?
“No, not right now,” Schwarber said.
Schwarber walked into the Progressive Field interview room at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, becoming the biggest Game 1 story after his stunning recovery from major surgery on his left knee. He didn’t have a hit all season — a brutal collision on April 7 was supposed to knock him out until Opening Day 2017 — but there was his name in the No. 5 spot as the designated hitter against Corey Kluber.
“Once I hit that line, a lot of emotions will come pouring out,” Schwarber said. “I’ll probably cry at some point today. It was a long road, but once we step in between those lines, it’s game time. I’m going to be locked in. I’m going to be ready to go (and) try to win this.”
Schwarber had tracked roughly 1,300 pitches off a machine at the team’s spring-training complex and gotten eight plate appearances with the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, where about 100 people might watch those games.
Now Schwarber stepped into the batter’s box for the franchise’s first World Series game in 71 years in front of a sellout crowd (38,091) and a national-TV audience. A “Let’s go, Cubs!” chant started in the second inning before Schwarber struck out swinging against Kluber, who notched eight strikeouts through the first three innings.
But Schwarber at least got acclimated against the 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner, just missing a home run in his next at-bat, slamming Kluber’s first-pitch fastball off the right-center field wall for a two-out double in the fourth inning.
That’s why the Cubs arranged for a private plane to fly him on Monday from the Phoenix area to Cleveland, where he could change franchise history with one big swing, the way he drilled five homers during last year’s playoffs and became a Wrigleyville folk hero.
“With him, anything is possible,” said manager Joe Maddon, who didn’t hesitate to put Schwarber in the lineup.
It’s hard to overstate how much the Cubs love his energy, presence and powerful left-handed swing, ever since they saw his hard-charging style at Indiana University and recognized the football mentality that made him an All-Ohio linebacker in high school. Theo Epstein’s front office drafted Schwarber fourth overall in 2014, back when it almost looked like a reach for a DH with an unclear defensive future behind the plate or in the outfield.
After getting a better-than-expected progress report last week from Dr. Daniel Cooper — the head team physician for the Dallas Cowboys who reconstructed his ACL and repaired his LCL — Schwarber went full speed ahead. That’s really his only gear.
“I called Theo right away and I was like: ‘Hey, I’d love the opportunity to try,’” Schwarber said. “Knowing that I had the opportunity to try and get back, it would kill me deep down inside if I didn’t. And I knew going into it there were no guarantees.
“I didn’t want the media attention. I didn’t want any of that. I did it for my teammates. I did it for me, too. That’s the competitor in me.”
The Cubs made Schwarber untouchable in any trade talks, even as the New York Yankees dangled Andrew Miller, who now looms as another World Series X-factor in the Cleveland bullpen.
Schwarber worked a six-pitch walk against Miller in the seventh inning before the dominant left-handed reliever escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam by getting Willson Contreras to fly out to shallow center field and striking out Addison Russell and David Ross.
Miller (0.00 ERA this postseason) won the battle with two runners on in the eighth inning, striking out Schwarber swinging at an 84-mph slider to end the threat.
“He didn’t show any rust, did he?” Miller said. “You hope that somebody like that is either having to cheat for balls or guess or do something. (But) I don’t think we can write him off as somebody that’s rusty or that’s not ready to play. It’s impressive.”
The Cubs can still feel it coming — especially after forcing Miller to throw 46 pitches — and they will need Schwarber against a Cleveland team that isn’t just happy to be here.
“He had a postseason for the ages last year,” Epstein said. “He’s only had four or five days of live pitching. But some things transcend standards and routine, and we think he’s capable of some special things.
“He’s going to face great pitching, so he’s going to make outs, just like all our guys. But we think there’ll be a moment where he does something special for us.”
Now you know why the Cubs believed Schwarber could help get them that championship parade down Michigan Avenue — and how the Cleveland Indians won’t just fade into history’s background as The Other Team. After a 6-0 loss, the question now becomes: How soon will Schwarber be ready to play the outfield?
“No, not right now,” Schwarber said.
Schwarber walked into the Progressive Field interview room at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, becoming the biggest Game 1 story after his stunning recovery from major surgery on his left knee. He didn’t have a hit all season — a brutal collision on April 7 was supposed to knock him out until Opening Day 2017 — but there was his name in the No. 5 spot as the designated hitter against Corey Kluber.
“Once I hit that line, a lot of emotions will come pouring out,” Schwarber said. “I’ll probably cry at some point today. It was a long road, but once we step in between those lines, it’s game time. I’m going to be locked in. I’m going to be ready to go (and) try to win this.”
Schwarber had tracked roughly 1,300 pitches off a machine at the team’s spring-training complex and gotten eight plate appearances with the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, where about 100 people might watch those games.
Now Schwarber stepped into the batter’s box for the franchise’s first World Series game in 71 years in front of a sellout crowd (38,091) and a national-TV audience. A “Let’s go, Cubs!” chant started in the second inning before Schwarber struck out swinging against Kluber, who notched eight strikeouts through the first three innings.
But Schwarber at least got acclimated against the 2014 American League Cy Young Award winner, just missing a home run in his next at-bat, slamming Kluber’s first-pitch fastball off the right-center field wall for a two-out double in the fourth inning.
That’s why the Cubs arranged for a private plane to fly him on Monday from the Phoenix area to Cleveland, where he could change franchise history with one big swing, the way he drilled five homers during last year’s playoffs and became a Wrigleyville folk hero.
“With him, anything is possible,” said manager Joe Maddon, who didn’t hesitate to put Schwarber in the lineup.
It’s hard to overstate how much the Cubs love his energy, presence and powerful left-handed swing, ever since they saw his hard-charging style at Indiana University and recognized the football mentality that made him an All-Ohio linebacker in high school. Theo Epstein’s front office drafted Schwarber fourth overall in 2014, back when it almost looked like a reach for a DH with an unclear defensive future behind the plate or in the outfield.
After getting a better-than-expected progress report last week from Dr. Daniel Cooper — the head team physician for the Dallas Cowboys who reconstructed his ACL and repaired his LCL — Schwarber went full speed ahead. That’s really his only gear.
“I called Theo right away and I was like: ‘Hey, I’d love the opportunity to try,’” Schwarber said. “Knowing that I had the opportunity to try and get back, it would kill me deep down inside if I didn’t. And I knew going into it there were no guarantees.
“I didn’t want the media attention. I didn’t want any of that. I did it for my teammates. I did it for me, too. That’s the competitor in me.”
The Cubs made Schwarber untouchable in any trade talks, even as the New York Yankees dangled Andrew Miller, who now looms as another World Series X-factor in the Cleveland bullpen.
Schwarber worked a six-pitch walk against Miller in the seventh inning before the dominant left-handed reliever escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam by getting Willson Contreras to fly out to shallow center field and striking out Addison Russell and David Ross.
Miller (0.00 ERA this postseason) won the battle with two runners on in the eighth inning, striking out Schwarber swinging at an 84-mph slider to end the threat.
“He didn’t show any rust, did he?” Miller said. “You hope that somebody like that is either having to cheat for balls or guess or do something. (But) I don’t think we can write him off as somebody that’s rusty or that’s not ready to play. It’s impressive.”
The Cubs can still feel it coming — especially after forcing Miller to throw 46 pitches — and they will need Schwarber against a Cleveland team that isn’t just happy to be here.
“He had a postseason for the ages last year,” Epstein said. “He’s only had four or five days of live pitching. But some things transcend standards and routine, and we think he’s capable of some special things.
“He’s going to face great pitching, so he’s going to make outs, just like all our guys. But we think there’ll be a moment where he does something special for us.”
Game 2 between Cubs-Indians moved to 6:08 p.m. CT first pitch.
By #CubsTalk
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Due to the threat of rain later on in the night, Major League Baseball announced that Game 2 of the World Series between the Cubs and Indians has been moved up an hour to a 6:08 p.m. CT first pitch.
Jake Arrieta is expected to take the ball for the Cubs while Trevor Bauer will do the same for the Indians.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks get a point but Kris Versteeg wins it for Flames in shootout. (Monday night's game, 10/24/2016).
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
When watching Blackhawks hockey over the last few years, several things stood out. Among them was their penalty kill and dominant puck possession.
Both of those things have been missing so far this season, and both have cost the Blackhawks.
Patrick Kane scored his second goal of the season but Kris Versteeg had the shootout winner as the Calgary Flames beat the Blackhawks 3-2 on Monday night. The Blackhawks are now 3-3-1 on the season as they keep trying to find more consistency in their game.
Gustav Forsling suffered an upper-body injury in the second period when he was hit by Lance Bouma on the glass between the team benches. Coach Joel Quenneville said the defenseman is day-to-day.
Corey Crawford stopped 29 of 31 shots in the loss. Despite the two power-play goals tonight, Crawford was good. He’s allowed just three 5-on-5 goals on the season.
But that penalty kill did hurt once again, as the Blackhawks allowed the Flames two power-play goals. While they killed the final three penalties they took, including a Tyler Motte double-minor high-sticking, the damage had been done. The Flames power play entering the game was just 1-for-25.
“It just seems no matter what it finds a way, a different way, every time,” Quenneville said. “We had a couple big kills in the second period and that was positive, built off it, had a good third period and found a way to get a point. Could have had two.”
The Blackhawks didn’t look great at the start of this one, something that’s becoming a trend with them. Couple that with that penalty kill – they gave up both power-play goals 39 seconds into each kill – and it was no surprise the Blackhawks were down 1-0 after the first.
“We’ve got to get that out of our game,” Jonathan Toews said of the slow first period. “As I’ve been saying, the penalty kill usually translates from our effort 5-on-5 and if we’re not starting games well, then we’re getting behind. Obviously [we’re] giving up power plays to begin with and we’re not killing the penalty kills that we’re on. Unfortunate to get behind again tonight.”
Brian Campbell got his first goal of the season when his shot (or pass) went off Calgary defenseman TJ Brodie’s stick. Richard Panik nearly had the game winner in the waning seconds of regulation but Brian Elliott, who was also great tonight, knocked the puck off his right skate.
The Blackhawks also had a 4-on-3 power play in overtime on which they couldn’t capitalize.
“You can talk about the penalty kill tonight but we’ve had a couple 4-on-3 chances in overtime the past couple games where our power play needs to be better,” Kane said. “We need to capitalize in those situations.” The Blackhawks are struggling with parts of their game that used to be familiar and successful. There’s plenty of time left in the season but they need to find their well-rounded game again.
“We can be play better, collectively, as a group as far as dictating the pace of games and controlling the puck, getting pucks back. That's really the key with hockey is winning those battles, controlling the puck,” Kane said. “We're so used to playing a puck-possession game. That's really something we've been getting away from here. It's early on in the season, so it's something to build on.”
Five Things from Blackhawks-Flames: Same old story on the penalty kill.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Here we go again.
Listen, it’s been one of those nights for everyone, including the Blackhawks. So let’s just save ourselves some time and get to the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.
1. Good and bad about the penalty kill. OK, let’s start with the good. The Blackhawks’ penalty kill was successful on their last three penalties, including Tyler Motte’s double-minor high-sticking. The bad news is they allowed goals on their first two kills and have now given up 14 in seven games. So what worked on the three late penalty kills? "We just kept our feet moving. We were working. Our shifts were 20 to 30 seconds tops. When you go that short you have the energy to outwork the power play and make up for being down one man," captain Jonathan Toews said. "Yeah, I mean, I think that’s the key right there, and I think our systems fall into place when we’re all moving and we’re all skating the right way."
2. Puck possession. When the Blackhawks are playing at their best, they are dominant in this department. They looked discombobulated in this one from the start and had very little possession, especially early. "Our identity in the past was fast and having the puck. Now we don’t have quite the four-line rotation or the puck enough to get that precision we look for, that identity we’re accustomed to having," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We’re not playing as fast because we’re defending a lot more than we’re used to."
Listen, it’s been one of those nights for everyone, including the Blackhawks. So let’s just save ourselves some time and get to the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.
1. Good and bad about the penalty kill. OK, let’s start with the good. The Blackhawks’ penalty kill was successful on their last three penalties, including Tyler Motte’s double-minor high-sticking. The bad news is they allowed goals on their first two kills and have now given up 14 in seven games. So what worked on the three late penalty kills? "We just kept our feet moving. We were working. Our shifts were 20 to 30 seconds tops. When you go that short you have the energy to outwork the power play and make up for being down one man," captain Jonathan Toews said. "Yeah, I mean, I think that’s the key right there, and I think our systems fall into place when we’re all moving and we’re all skating the right way."
2. Puck possession. When the Blackhawks are playing at their best, they are dominant in this department. They looked discombobulated in this one from the start and had very little possession, especially early. "Our identity in the past was fast and having the puck. Now we don’t have quite the four-line rotation or the puck enough to get that precision we look for, that identity we’re accustomed to having," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We’re not playing as fast because we’re defending a lot more than we’re used to."
3. Forsling hurt. Blackhawks rookie defenseman Gustav Forsling was injured in the second period and did not return. Forsling took a big hit from Lance Bouma along the glass between the two benches. Quenneville said Forsling is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The Blackhawks have better depth at defense this season. Now, with Trevor van Riemsdyk out for a few weeks and Forsling potentially missing some time, they’ll need all of it.
4. Corey Crawford doing just fine. Yes, he’s part of the Blackhawks’ penalty kill that is not doing much of anything right now. But he’s also been stellar at 5-on-5, where he’s allowed just three goals this season. If not for Crawford tonight, the Blackhawks aren’t in striking distance when the third period begins and they probably don’t earn that overtime point.
5. Brian Elliott just a little better. Elliott stymied the Blackhawks in Game 7 of their first-round series last spring, and he aggravated them again on Monday night. Richard Panik nearly had the winner on Elliott until the Flames goaltender stopped his shot with his right skate. Elliott was also good in overtime (6-for-6), when the Blackhawks had a 4-on-3 power play. The Elliott of Monday night is the Elliott the Flames were hoping for when they traded for him this offseason.
Artem Anisimov collecting points but knows faceoffs need to improve.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It took a little bit for Artem Anisimov to get going this season.
Much like the second line overall, he wasn’t making an immediate impact or collecting many points. Oh, how things have changed in a week or two.
Now if he can get his face-off victories on the same level as his production, he’ll be happy.
Anisimov, who was named the NHL’s second star for last week, continued his point-scoring run with an assist in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday night. Entering Tuesday’s games, Anisimov is one of four players with a league-best nine points.
“It was a very good week,” said Anisimov, whose focus quickly turned to the Blackhawks. "But we need to play better as a team. Better on the [penalty kill], better on the power play, too. Just play better.”
Anisimov wasn’t giving himself too much credit so Patrick Kane, the beneficiary of Anisimov’s assist on Monday, did.
“He made a great pass to me. Not that he didn’t do that last year. He was there, but sometimes we’d score a goal, he’d be the third assist or the guy in front of the net creating traffic and could be the biggest reason we score,” Kane said. “Good to see him get the points and get the recognition, for sure.”
Much like the second line overall, he wasn’t making an immediate impact or collecting many points. Oh, how things have changed in a week or two.
Now if he can get his face-off victories on the same level as his production, he’ll be happy.
Anisimov, who was named the NHL’s second star for last week, continued his point-scoring run with an assist in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday night. Entering Tuesday’s games, Anisimov is one of four players with a league-best nine points.
“It was a very good week,” said Anisimov, whose focus quickly turned to the Blackhawks. "But we need to play better as a team. Better on the [penalty kill], better on the power play, too. Just play better.”
Anisimov wasn’t giving himself too much credit so Patrick Kane, the beneficiary of Anisimov’s assist on Monday, did.
“He made a great pass to me. Not that he didn’t do that last year. He was there, but sometimes we’d score a goal, he’d be the third assist or the guy in front of the net creating traffic and could be the biggest reason we score,” Kane said. “Good to see him get the points and get the recognition, for sure.”
Now, about those faceoffs. After winning 44.2 percent of his faceoffs last season, Anisimov has won just 35 percent so far this season. As soon as the subject came up, Anisimov shook his head in frustration.
“The faceoff situation. It’s not great, actually. I try to do so many things right now but it doesn’t work,” he said. “You have so many different things. Try to worry about the opponent, how they do it, and not focus on myself. I just need to focus on myself and what I’m doing. keep working.”
Jonathan Toews is by far the Blackhawks’ faceoff man right now; he’s winning 60.8 percent of the time. Marcus Kruger is at 50 percent. The Blackhawks as a team are 29th in the NHL in faceoffs won in the offensive zone (42.5 percent), 27th overall in faceoffs (46.6 percent). Coach Joel Quenneville needs the team, including Anisimov, to be better in that department.
“We started off in a tough area – across the board except for Jonny – where we’re starting against it, chasing the puck and a lot of times we’re out there in the offensive zone and we don’t get that pressure, sustain offensive zone time or puck possession time. That’s an area where we’d like to get 50-50 or close to that and get a little help along the lines as well,” Quenneville said. “That’s definitely area where we need [Anisimov] to get better and get a little stronger, and [have] an awareness to what the opponents are doing or how the officials are dropping it as well. We have to get better.”
Anisimov has gotten his production going. He’d like to do the same with his faceoffs. Much like his scoring, he knows getting confidence in faceoffs could turn things around.
“Of course, yes,” he said. “I just need to straighten out a couple more games in the faceoffs and it’ll build confidence. Just build confidence.”
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