Wild's Parise: stopping Patrick Kane isn't easy
Stopping Patrick Kane this season has proved to be next to impossible.
Only Philadelphia and Washington (in the fourth and fifth games of the season) have managed to keep Kane off the scoresheet. Since then, the Blackhawks' superstar winger has rattled off a points streak that he extended to 20 games Tuesday night at the United Center during the Blackhawks' 2-1 loss to the Wild.
Minnesota star Zach Parise knows all too well how tough it is to contain Kane, who scored 5 goals in the Hawks' four-game sweep of the Wild during the second round of the playoffs. Kane also has 28 points in 32 regular-season games against Minnesota.
"He anticipates plays better than anyone, so it's almost like he knows where the puck's going to go, and that's where he goes," said Parise, Kane's Olympic teammate in 2010 and 2014. "And, shocker, he gets the puck and makes a play. You can see it, and I think he's getting even better at it."
So is there any way to stop Kane? Players will give you stock answers such as "limit his time and space" or, as Parise said Tuesday, "stay above him when you don't have the puck."
Easy to say. Not easy to do.
"What he does so different than anyone else (is) he almost baits defenders into chasing him," Parise said. "And then he'll draw a double coverage and then he finds that open guy."
Kane was named the NHL's No. 1 star for November after racking up 8 goals and 15 assists. He said "it's a nice little honor, I guess," but it paled in comparison to what he did Saturday in Los Angeles, which was break the record by American-born players for longest points streak.
"I'm mean, I'm not going to lie about that - that was pretty exciting," Kane said.
He has been adamant that he's trying not to think about the streak, although he admitted it was in the back of his mind before playing the Kings. As for whether this is the best stretch of his career, Kane said perhaps, but he also mentioned the 12- and 14-game points streaks that ran back-to-back during the 2013-14 season.
Had Kane managed a point in a 2-1 victory at Dallas on Nov. 29, 2013, he would have amassed an amazing 27-game streak that season.
Kane admitted this season has been a lot of fun, especially playing with linemates Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov.
"They make hockey fun," Kane said. "You have shifts where you're in the opponents' end for a little while, moving around the puck playing hockey, passing the puck, give-and-go's, I think that's when hockey's fun.
"I've always just tried to stress to myself to have fun playing hockey. I feel that when I play my best is when I do that, especially this year. I'm probably enjoying it to another level."
Legends game:
The NHL, the Blackhawks and the Wild released the rosters for the NHL Stadium Series Alumni Game, which will be played Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Among the former Hawks scheduled to play in that Saturday contest are Denis Savard, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, Murray Bannerman, Cliff Koroll, Troy Murray and Eric Daze. The Hawks will be coached by Tony Esposito and Pat Foley.
Among the former North Stars / Wild players scheduled to play are Dino Ciccarelli, Neal Broten, Mike Modano and former Blackhawks coach Craig Hartsburg.
On Feb. 21, the Blackhawks and Wild will play at TCF Bank Stadium as part of the NHL's Stadium Series. The game is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. and will be televised on NBC.