After a 4-3 season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Prague, Patrick Kane admitted that "for some reason, every year it takes me a little bit to get into the game," when going from preseason to regular season action. Keep in mind this was coming after a game in which he had registered three points (one goal, two assists).
In the next 10 games, Kane compiled only six points (two goals, four assists) and finished with one point in the final five games of October. The Blackhawks go as he goes, and it's no surprise that the team's results coincide with Kane's individual production.
When Kane records at least one point, the Blackhawks have a record of 6-4-2 this season. When he doesn't, they're 0-3-2. Fortunately for the Blackhawks, Kane is starting to heat up in a big way.
After a three-point effort in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kane stretched his season-long point streak to six games and already has three multi-point outings in November after just two in October. He has 11 points (five goals, six assists) over that span and has scored a goal in three straight.
[WATCH: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: November 10, 2019 | Highlights]
"I think it’s been coming on for a while, as far back as a couple weeks," head coach Jeremy Colliton said of Kane's hot streak. "Getting a little more comfortable with the plays he was making, starting to get his chances even if they weren’t going in. He’s the type of player, when he does get it going, he feeds off the energy, whether that’s within a game or just within a week. When he gets hot he can go on a huge streak and hopefully we’re at the beginning of that."
Even when Kane isn't at his best, he still finds a way to end up on the scoresheet. It just hadn't been coming consistently until now, and the Blackhawks are hoping to ride that wave back into playoff contention.
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The Blackhawks have earned at least a point in five of their last six games (3-2-1) after having just one win in their previous six contests (1-4-1) before that. There's still work to be done as a group — after all, they gave up a season-high 57 shots to the Maple Leafs — but the results are slowly starting to come.
And if this is the beginning of Kane kicking into full gear, the Blackhawks will reach a different level as a team, because the offense runs through No. 88.
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