Kane gladly adjusts his game as assists continue to pile up
Blackhawks rookie Patrick Kane has surprised even himself with his playmaking ability this season.
Kane's assist on Dustin Byfuglien's goal in Sunday's 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues at the United Center was his 47th of the season, tying the club record for rookies held by Denis Savard and Steve Larmer.
"Coming into the season, to be honest with you, I thought I was more of a goal scorer, but I guess your roles change throughout the years, and if that's what I have to do to play in the NHL, that's what I'll do," Kane said.
"Obviously next year and the years after I hope I can up my goal production, but I'm going to keep trying to make plays and if I see the open guy I'm going to give it to him.
"It's good to be part of that group, especially when you look at the two guys you're with," Kane said in reference to Savard and Larmer. "Hopefully I can break the record -- that would be an even better feeling."
Kane's goal in overtime won it for the Hawks and was his 18th of the season. His 2 points put him back in the NHL's rookie scoring lead ahead of Washington's Nicklas Backstrom, 65-64.
Savard had 75 points as a rookie in 1980-01. Larmer had 90 in 1982-83, which is the Hawks' rookie record.
Brouwer contributes: Rookie winger Troy Brouwer, recalled from Rockford on Sunday to replace the injured Robert Lang in the lineup, assisted on Adam Burish's goal late in the second period that made it 1-1.
Brouwer has 30 goals (21 on the power play) in 65 games at Rockford.
"I thought he was good," Hawks coach Denis Savard said. "He's a big kid and his skating has improved. He'll play, no doubt."
Savard wasn't sure how long Lang would be sidelined with a stiff back.
Thing of beauty: Looking at the box score won't show that Adam Burish's goal, his second of the season in 75 games, went in off his skate on a pass from Troy Brouwer.
"You didn't see it? It was a one-timer, top shelf," joked Burish. "I just went to the net, and those are the kind of goals, if you go to the net they're going to happen once in awhile.
"The guys were giving me a hard time, saying they wanted to hear the announcement, to hear them say it's only your second goal. But it went in and I'm glad."
Tip-ins: Rookie defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson had his best game as a Hawk with an assist and plus-3 rating in 15 minutes. … James Wisniewski was plus-4 … The Blues finished their nine-game road trip 1-8, forced from the Scottrade Center by the Missouri Valley Conference basketball tournament, the NCAA wrestling tourney and Disney on Ice. … Keith Tkachuk's goal was No. 496 for the Blues winger.