Kane spoils Islanders' Brooklyn debut
NEW YORK - Morning skates are pretty much rote for NHL players - loosen up with a few laps, run a few drills, skate a few line rushes, fire a few shots, then head back in. But Friday morning at Barclays Center, Patrick Kane whacked the puck around a few extra times to get a feel for the rink, which was hosting its first regular-season NHL game later in the evening.
"You try to feel out certain things, like how bouncy the boards are, what the atmosphere is like," said Kane, who equated the quirky arena - a basketball-only joint with an ice rink shoe-horned in - to European buildings in which the crowd is right on top of the action. "You try to feel everything out. It's still hockey, you're still on the same sized ice sheet. It's just kind of a different atmosphere."
Well, the atmosphere wasn't very welcoming for Kane, but the rink suited him just fine. Kane scored twice, including the game-winner off a fortuitous bounce in overtime, to lead the Hawks to a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders.
Scouting report
Blackhawks (1-1-0) vs. New York Islanders (0-0-1) at United Center, 7:30 p.m.
TV: WGN
Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: Unless they meet in the Stanley Cup Final, the Blackhawks won't see the Islanders again this season after this game. ... Viktor Svedberg and Viktor Tikhonov made their season debuts in the Hawks' 3-2 OT win Friday night. Kyle Baun and David Rundblad were healthy scratches. ... Patrick Kane scored 2 goals in the victory, while Duncan Keith had a pair of assists. ... Watch for Scott Darling to get his first start of the season in net tonight.
Next: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Philadelphia