Corey Crawford could be back in action before Christmas

The Blackhawks could be getting an early Christmas present — the return of Corey Crawford.

Joel Quenneville said Sunday that he’s targeting Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche for Crawford’s return to action. That would put the goalie right on the three-week timetable that was forecasted after his emergency appendectomy on Dec. 3 in Philadelphia.

“He was out there [Sunday] with some players, and so he got some good work again,” Quenneville said. “[He’ll practice on] Tuesday, and we’ll look at the 23rd as an option.”

Sunday’s game against the San Jose Sharks was the ninth that Crawford has missed since his surgery. The Hawks, after stumbling in the first two games against Philadelphia and Winnipeg, have gone 5-0-1 since, with Scott Darling playing very well until the last two games, when he gave up four goals each in high-scoring wins over the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues.

Sunday’s game will be Darling’s ninth in 16 days, the busiest stretch of his NHL career. Quenneville said he was seriously considering giving 29-year-old rookie Lars Johansson his NHL debut against the Sharks, but Darling convinced the coach he was still good to go.

“I was really happy that they gave me a chance to get back in tonight,” Darling said after making 33 saves in the 4-1 victory. “I want to play as much as I can during this stretch, and I felt good. Sure, it’s tiring, but I knew that coming home and getting a good night’s sleep and no pregame skate in the morning, I’d have the energy in the tank to go, and it felt good out there.

“I don’t really try and twist Joel’s arm in any way at all. I just told him I wanted to play and that was that. And they told me I was playing.”

Crawford was 12-6-2 with a .927 save percentage and 2.27 goals-against average before the surgery.

Anisimov out

Artem Anisimov, who left Saturday’s game in the first period with an upper-body injury, will not play against San Jose. Quenneville said it was not a long-term concern.

With Anisimov out, and with the third line of Dennis Rasmussen, Marcus Kruger and Richard Panik performing so well lately, Vinnie Hinostroza will move up to center Ryan Hartman and Marian Hossa, while Jonathan Toews will take Anisimov’s spot between Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane.

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