Kaner combo clicking on all cylinders

They've only been together for a couple of games, but the line of Patrick Kane (5 points), Brad Richards (3) and Kris Versteeg (4) is lighting it up for the Blackhawks.

And Kane is loving the combo.

"I'm playing with two very skilled players in Steeger and Richie - they're finding me in good areas," he said after the Hawks' 4-3 victory over Calgary. "We've had a couple of good games in a row.

"There's some excitement there in playing with each other. Hopefully we can continue that and enjoy this run."

When Richards signed with the Hawks over the summer, the thinking was to have him alongside Kane on the second line, but before you could say mix and match, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville scuttled those plans.

But now they're together ... and producing.

"That line in back-to-back games has been very good," Quenneville said.

Kane isn't the only who's digging the combo. After their debut Sunday in a win over Dallas, Richards was all smiles.

"It felt great," he said. "I've had some opportunities with Kaner a few games here this year and we've been close.

"It feels good to actually put it in the net and you can just tell, we just started rolling and getting that confidence as a group out there."

Kane has been beyond good, especially Thursday night in Calgary where he was simply a dominant force on the ice and ended up scoring the game-winner midway through the third period.

"He was great," Quenneville said. "A lot of puck possession, a lot of zone time, dangerous, and obviously a huge goal.

"The last couple of games he's been as good as he can be."

With the game tied at 3-3 midway through the third period, the red-hot Kane sealed the deal when he gathered up a misplay by Flames goalie Jonas Hiller and scored his third goal in the last three games.

"I think sometimes you just have to take over," Kane said of the game-winner.

Kane's 7 goals and 16 points are tied with Jonathan Toews for the team lead through 19 games. Five of Kane's 7 goals have come in the third period.

"Sometimes it just happens like that during stretches," said Kane, who added a sweet assist on Brent Seabrook's second-period goal Thursday. "You want to be counted on in third periods to produce and make plays.

"And when you do get those opportunities, you want to find ways to produce."