Hawks look sharp in win but lose Campbell

For once Patrick Kane played on a line where he wasn't considered the kid.

Kane skated on a line with Patrick Sharp and 19-year-old rookie Jeremy Morin in the Hawks' 5-2 win over Pittsburgh at the United Center on Friday, and it wasn't only Morin trying to get something accomplished.

While Morin was still hoping to prove he belongs on the team, Kane was one of the veterans trying to fine tune their games for Thursday's opener at Colorado.

"Sometimes you come back and you've got to get into it a little bit," said Kane, who scored his first goal of the preseason on a power play in the third period. "That's how I've always been. I tend to feel things out and jump on it after that.

"You don't want to worry about points in preseason. You want to feel the puck and make some plays and hopefully accomplish some things out there."

Unfortunately, the Hawks didn't get out of the game healthy. Defenseman Brian Campbell suffered a right leg injury in the second period on a hit along the boards and will be re-evaluated today by the team doctors.

The injury, if serious, could pave the way for 19-year-old defenseman Nick Leddy to make the team. Leddy played more than 20 minutes in the win and again impressed coach Joel Quenneville.

"He really helped himself," Quenneville said. "He was composed and does a lot of right things. As a 19-year-old you really like his upside and feel for the game."

The fact Morin survived a key cut day on Friday was meaningful, but there still is no guarantee the skilled winger will make the opening-night roster.

"I don't want to say yet (he's made the team), but we certainly we like what we see," Quenneville said.

"I'm not shocked (he's still here). There's always somebody who jumps out and a lot of times it's a young kid that all of a sudden he's still around when you're thinking of whom you are going to start with."

Morin played 14 minutes and didn't have a point but did draw a penalty on Mike Rupp with a big hit that resulted in Tomas Kopecky's power-play goal.

"I thought he did well again," Quenneville said. "Playing with a couple great players like he was tonight, sometimes you may feel a little intimidated, but I thought he looked comfortable in that role."

The Hawks were hoping to build some chemistry on the power play and went 2-for-4.

Quenneville appears to have settled on Sharp and Duncan Keith as his point men on the first unit with Kane, Jonathan Toews and Kopecky.

Marian Hossa had a special game with 2 goals, both coming on burts to the net.

"He had one of those games where you say, 'Wow,' " Quenneville said.

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