It’s back! Kane’s mullet returns

Patrick Kane strolled into the interview room at O’Hare Airport sporting his typical traveling attire, a suit and a wool cap.

But just as he was about to step in front of the cameras he uncharacteristically paused and turned back to the Blackhawks PR guy who was trailing him.

“I don’t know, should I?” he asked.

What was going on?

After a few more seconds, Kane stepped to the podium, leaned his head forward and pulled off his cap, unleashing the return of the playoff mullet, complete with stripes.

“It’s back,” he announced a little sheepishly.

And so are the Hawks, who Sunday afternoon assumed they were going to miss the playoffs after losing at home to Detroit. But about six hours later they had their world rocked by the Minnesota Wild, who edged Dallas, giving the Hawks the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs.

Talk about a nail-biting, roller coaster of an afternoon followed by a nail-biting, roller coaster of a night.

“Obviously you’re praying Minnesota’s going to win,” said Kane, who watched the game with his parents at his place. “It was tough after our game because you feel like you kind of gave it away.”

“I actually didn’t even watch the first half of the game,” Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. “I was at home watching TV with my brother and texting Sharpie and he’s like, ‘What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you watching the game?’ So I started watching the second half.”

And he was loving what he was seeing.

“I honestly couldn’t believe it,” Toews said. “Minnesota played a heck of a game and gave us a second chance. If we could, we’d play today — we’re so excited to get out there and get this thing started.”

The wild win by the Wild, highlighted afterward by the headline “By the way Chicago …. you’re welcome” on the team’s web site, capped a day full of anger, disbelief, frustration and ultimately joy for Toews and Co.

“At first I was so disappointed that we didn’t take full control at what was going on in our game (Sunday); it almost felt like it was over already,” Toews said. “So you go from the feeling that your season is over and you’re not going to know what to do with yourself for the next couple of months to Minnesota playing a great game and giving us a chance to play in the playoffs.

“Then the whole dream of winning a Stanley Cup comes right back in. It was kind of one of the weirder days I’ve been through in a long time.”

After the Wild win, Kane got in touch with former teammate Adam Burish, who plays for Dallas.

“I said thanks for that,” Kane said. “He said I have to buy him all the beers this summer in Chicago. I’m sure he’s not happy, but we’ll take it.”

The call to Burish wasn’t the first Kane made Sunday night.

“Right after the Minnesota game, that was my first phone call … to my barber,” Kane said. “He made the trip downtown, opened up the shop, and gave me a quick haircut.

“Hopefully I didn’t cut into this for a short stint; hopefully there’s a reason I cut it and it’ll be around for a long time.”