Kane unsure if he'll skate on Toews' line in Game 3
Patrick Kane was on Cloud Nine following his memorable hat trick in Game 6 of the second-round series against Vancouver when the Blackhawks eliminated the Canucks.
It's been back down to earth for Kane in the first two games of the Western Conference finals against Detroit. Kane still is looking for his first point and has only 3 shots on goal, all in Game 2.
"I felt a lot better in Game 2," Kane said. "I felt I was creating more and had more shots on net, obviously. I know I can do it and now I have to put a better game together (tonight). As the series goes on you want to play better every game."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville split up Kane and Jonathan Toews in Game 2 to try to get at least one of them away from Red Wings defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski.
Detroit coach Mike Babcock had Listrom and Rafalski against Toews and Kane in Game 1, and they shut them down. In Game 2, Babcock elected to play his best defenders against Kane, who was on a line with Sammy Pahlsson and Kris Versteeg.
Toews and Kane skated together at practice Thursday, but Pahlsson wasn't available.
"Who knows if we're going to play together," Kane said. "We were together in practice, but I don't know if that has anything to do with the matchups.
"It seemed to work pretty good last game. Both of us played a lot better and he obviously had 2 goals. I think it's one of those tings if they want to put Lidstrom and Rafalski on one of us, then the other one will have more time and space."
Kane hadn't heard Babcock's comments following Game 2 when he thought Kane was having too much fun on the ice in terms of playmaking and open ice.
"What do you mean too much fun?" Kane said Thursday. "I thought you meant I was out there laughing.
"You can't have too much fun in this kind of series. I was just kind of trying to create off our defense and make good transition plays."
Kane wants to make a difference tonight in a Game 3 the Hawks need to win.
"Obviously coming off Game 6 against Vancouver, I was pretty high," Kane said. "Then you see the lowest of lows the next couple games. The confidence is still there, but I want to step up for the team. It feels like I kind of have to produce here if we want to go somewhere."
Babcock maintained again on Thursday that the Hawks are a dangerous team to contain offensively.
"Overachieving, that's not what they're doing at all," Babcock said. "They're that good. I really believe they're an excellent team. They played hard all year long. They were a good team two years ago and they've just continued to take steps. I like their players. I like their pieces.
"In Game 2, I thought they gave us everything we could handle. I thought they played harder in Game 2. We have to play harder than we did in Game 2."