Kane's goals weren't pretty, but they were huge
When you think of Patrick Kane scoring goals, admit it, you think mainly of the highlight reel variety: the pretty backhands top shelf, or the spin-o-ramas, or even the stop-and-starters that can make a goalie look plain foolish.
But rarely do you think of No. 88 scoring the more blue-collar variety goals, like jamming home a rebound on a second effort from the side of the net or cleaning up out front after crashing the crease.
But that's just what Kane did Saturday in Game 5 at the United Center, coming up big-time in a big-game with a pair of goals that certainly weren't pretty but sure were effective in leading the Blackhawks to the cusp of yet another Stanley Cup.
“He gets those kind of goals, too,” Andrew Shaw said. “They're not all going to be pretty, but they're huge goals.”
Kane and huge goals seem to go hand-in-hand, don't they?
“Sometimes you catch some breaks,” Kane said with a smile. “I think I was in the right spot in the right time tonight.”
That might be simplifying it just a bit.
Saturday was his fourth multi-goal playoff game for Kane, who now has 7 goals, including two game-winning scores, in his last seven games. That matches his total from his prior 39 postseason games dating to 2010.
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Kane now has 9 goals in 22 games during the 2013 playoffs, tied for second in the league and just one behind Patrick Sharp.
His 19 postseason points also rank second in the NHL behind only Boston's David Krejci's 25.
That's big time stuff.
“Everyone wants to be that guy in big-time games and I've been lucky enough in a couple to step up,” Kane said. “It's an exciting time, especially when you're scoring in games like this.”
Kane opened the scoring in the first period when a Johnny Oduya blast from the blue line got behind Tuukka Rask, and Kane was the man on the spot to jam it in before the Bruins goalie could get back in position.
On his second goal, early in the second period, Kane crashed the net while Bryan Bickell brought the puck behind before sending it out front for Kane to clean up.
“Kaner's got high-end skill; he's dangerous with the puck, his anticipation without it is high end,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Guys that have that kind of unique skill, they anticipate like the rest of us would like to.”
Not likely.
Once again playing on a reunited top line alongside Jonathan Toews and Bickell, Kane seems to have found a home — at least on the offensive end.
“Playing with Johnny and Bicks,” Kane said, “they create a lot of space and I've been taking advantage of the space they do make.”