The Blackhawks have made a dramatic turnaround over the last few months, and there’s no chance they would’ve pulled it off without Patrick Kane.
He’s on one of the biggest hot streaks of his career, stringing together 20 straight games with a point for the longest run by anyone in the NHL this season. He kept it going with a goal in tonight’s 5-3 loss to the Avalanche.
Considering his prolific production and how instrumental he has been in the Hawks’ charge toward the playoffs, Kane is Jonathan Toews’ choice for the Hart Trophy, which goes to the league’s most valuable player.
“Relative to his team, absolutely,” Toews said. “You see who won the Hart Trophy last year (Taylor Hall, of the eighth-place Devils), and in my book there’s no doubt that [Kane] should be taking home some hardware at the end of the season this year.
“But we all know he’s not worried about that right now. He’s worried about keeping his streak going and staying hot and playing his game, and every night he’s a big part of our offense, so it’s pretty incredible to see him do it night after night.”
Kane will have a tough time beating out Lightning star Nikita Kucherov, but he does have a strong case. Here’s where he ranks in the three main categories:
- Goals
1. Alex Ovechkin, WSH, 43 2. Patrick Kane, CHI, 39 14t. Nikita Kucherov, TBL, 30
- Assists
1. Nikita Kucherov, TBL, 70 2. Blake Wheeler, WPG, 57 3. Brent Burns, SJS, 56 4. Patrick Kane, CHI, 54
- Points
1. Nikita Kucherov, TBL, 100 2. Patrick Kane, CHI, 93
During Kane’s 20-game point streak, the second of his career, he has 17 goals and 26 assists.
Kane won the Hart Trophy in 2015-16, when he put up career highs in goals (46), assists (60) and points (106).
