Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane delivers vintage performance as trade rumors escalate – NBC Chicago

Kane delivers vintage performance as trade rumors escalate originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Heading into Friday’s game in Ottawa, Patrick Kane had just nine goals and 35 points in 50 games. He was also in a four-point drought. You must have wondered how much the trade rumors were starting to affect him mentally lately.

Fast forward to Sunday, and Kane suddenly has one of the hottest sticks in the NHL right now. He recorded a hat trick and added an assist in a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, two nights after leading the Blackhawks to a multi-goal win over the soaring Senators with a two-game performance. goals.

Kane was named the No. 1 star of the game and received a thunderous ovation in front of a sold-out United Center crowd of 20,979, which was the second-highest attendance of the season.

“They were awesome,” Kane said of the fans. “I thought they were really in the game. A few times there you just get chills with the way they were in it, with the team not doing well and the position we’re in. C ‘was unbelievable.

“The crowds have been great. They’ve been in every game. You can tell they want us to win. They live and die with us in every game. It’s impressive.”

Kane told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan during the first intermission that “it’s easy as a hockey player to lose confidence and put yourself down, I think you just remember that you’re a good player and that you capitalize on your chances”. Safe to say Kane has his confidence back.

The weekend show could also have been a message to teams that Kane’s lingering hip injury isn’t as bad as claimed. Kane didn’t take the bait when asked that question, but you could tell it felt good to have a performance like Sunday.

“It’s always nice to have a game like this at home,” Kane said.

With the March 3 trade deadline less than two weeks away, Kane is expected to make a decision at some point this week. He holds all the cards because his contract includes a full no-move clause, and Kane insists he still hasn’t made a final decision one way or the other.

“I don’t know,” Kane said when asked what his instincts were telling him. “I think if I knew that, I’d probably make the decision already. So we’ll see.”

Toronto are rumored to be on Kane’s potential shortlist should he be moved. Kane respectfully denied there was any mutual interest, which was a different kind of response than he got after the New York Rangers traded for Vladimir Tarasenko.

“I don’t think there has been – at least to my knowledge – much discussion about this option,” Kane said. “I think there are a lot of different reports and not all of them are true. I have to be careful what you listen to.”

Nights like Sunday probably make it difficult for Kane to think about the possibility of leaving Chicago. He loves nothing more than putting on a show for Blackhawks fans, something he’s been doing for 16 years.

“I mean, of course,” Kane said. “Of course you want to play in front of that crowd and be able to perform,” Kane said. “It’s been an amazing place to play for my whole career, so of course you want to keep it that way.”

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