Patrick Kane distances himself from allegations with point streak
CHICAGO – What started out as perhaps the lowest point of Patrick Kane’s young life has now turned into the best season of his NHL career.
Last fall, the Chicago Blackhawks star was the subject of a police investigation stemming from allegations of sexual assault. Today, he is in the midst of scoring at least one point in 26 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NHL since 1992.
“All that was happening to him must have been mentally exhausting. It was remarkable that he was able to stay focused with this hanging over him,” said former NHL star Mike Modano. “But maybe he knew in his heart of hearts that he was going to be fine."
Kane was into the third week of the streak in early November when Erie County (N.Y.) District Attorney Frank Sedita called off the investigation, saying the accuser had stopped cooperating with investigators and there was no credible evidence to support charges being filed.
Since then, Kane has 11 goals and 28 points in 18 games. At 27, he is on a pace for 121 points. The last player to register 120 points was Sidney Crosby in 2006-07.
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It’s easy to make a case for Kane being the NHL’s Most Valuable Player when you consider that he has contributed an assist or scored the goal on 53% of Chicago’s goals. Dallas Stars teammates Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are tied for second in scoring, and they have participated in 39% of their team’s goals.
Patrick Kane extends point streak to 26 games, longest for active NHLer
“Patrick has always been good about focusing on hockey,” Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s always been one thing that makes him great. That’s why pressure doesn’t bother him. If anything, he seems to play better under pressure.”
The next milestone in the streak for Kane, who plays against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, would be 30 games, which is what Mats Sundin reached in 1992 while playing for the Quebec Nordiques and is the fourth-longest streak in NHL history. Wayne Gretzky holds the NHL record with at least a point in 51 games in 1983-84.
“I don’t think that we are thinking about (the streak) anymore,” Kane said Sunday. “We are focused on winning games. I think it was exciting when it was around 19, 21, 22 games.”
Kane has been highly accessible during the streak, but he doesn’t have any interest in talking about what he experienced last fall. He’s made it clear that his focus is on team objectives, and he doesn’t want the streak or his personal life to be a distraction.
His agent, Pat Brisson, said the only aspect of the streak that surprises him is that Kane was able to do this after having his training disrupted by the investigation. With an investigation ongoing, Kane avoided skating in public.
“I went to Buffalo to see him and told me the story and I believed him,” Brisson said. “He likes to be on the ice, and he wanted to figure out a way for him to skate. "
Brisson said they considered renting an ice rink at 5 o’clock in the morning. Instead Kane trained at home. Brisson said Kane missed about six weeks of skating that he would normally do in the summer.
Another astonishing aspect of Kane’s streak is that it has come at a time when there is considerable grumbling around the NHL about the decrease in scoring.
“Now with the salary cap, the league is more competitive than it’s ever been,” said Blackhawks defenseman Nicklas Hjalmarsson. “For him to do this in this era, is amazing.”
When Kane’s streak hit 22 games, he broke Bobby Hull’s 44-year old team record. “I don’t know if anyone will break this (Blackhawks) record,” Hjalmarsson said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this good ever. It’s fun to be on the ice with him.”
Everyone has been asked why Kane has been so dominant this season. And everyone has a different answer. Defenseman Duncan Keith said Kane’s work ethic is being overlooked. Other say it is his focus or skill set.
Bowman said Kane has been building to this great season. “On the last couple of years he’s been on an upswing,” Bowman said.
Kane was the leading the NHL in scoring last season when he broke his collarbone in February. “I thought he was en route to an MVP season then,” Brisson said. “Then he amazed us by coming back from that injury two or three weeks ahead of schedule.”
According to Bowman, the improvement in Kane’s game over the last couple of seasons has been in his ability to get the puck back from opponents.
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“He can steal it from guys, take it away,” Bowman said. “He has had the puck on his stick more. And he controls the game when he has the puck. Now he always finds a way to get the puck back.”
Kane also has been aided by coach Joel Quenneville’s decision to put him with dashing rookie Artemi Panarin, who plays a similar style to Kane, plus center Artem Anisimov who has turned out to be the No. 2 center the Blackhawks have been seeking for the past couple of seasons.
A common misconception about the Blackhawks is that Kane and captain Jonathan Toews play together. But that happens only on special occasions, when Quenneville is looking to bolster his offense or to create a spark. Panarin and Anisimov may be the best complementary linemates Kane has known on a regular basis.
“Watching Panarin and Kane is just fun,” Bowman said.
Panarin, who is Russian, doesn’t have command of English, which makes their chemistry fascinating. It helps that Anisimov, who is also Russian, is fluent in both languages.
“We tend to get mad at each other out there, probably more than we should,” Kane said about Panarin. “It’s been a good relationship. We play the same way. We want to do similar things. As time goes on, you learn what words he understands."
Most of Kane’s teammates say the answer to why Kane is thriving is all of the above. They don't question how Kane has been able to take his game to a new level during a season that started with turmoil.
“He has a singular focus,” Bowman said.
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