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Patrick Kane at 30: 'I've got ... more to give on the ice this season'

Over the course of his illustrious 12-year career, Patrick Kane has unleashed some goal celebrations that rank with the best of 'em.

We've seen him scream, “SHOWTIME, BABY!” against Minnesota during the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs. Mimic Toronto's Auston Matthews by raising a hand to his ear this season. Slide across the ice and yell, “BOOM!” after eliminating the Kings from the playoffs in 2013.

And, of course, nobody will forget Kane's fling-his-gloves-off, 170-foot sprint into the arms of Antti Niemi after his Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Philadelphia in 2010.

Yes, Kane never seems to disappoint when he comes through in the clutch.

As for birthday celebrations? Especially for big ones like Monday when the Blackhawks' superstar turned 30?

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

“Just a regular day,” Kane said after the Hawks practiced Tuesday before leaving on a road trip to Washington, Tampa Bay and Florida.

OK, so there wasn't a big party, but Kane said his sisters put together a 30-minute video of teammates, former teammates, friends and family wishing him happy birthday. His family was also in town for Friday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Kings and Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Wild.

Monday, though, he just hung out with his girlfriend.

“It's one of those things, you think about turning 30 and (are like), ‘Whatever. It's just a number,' ” Kane said. “(But then), all of a sudden, it's like, ‘You're 30 now.' ”

There are plenty who believe that once athletes hit 30, a significant decline is on the way. A study by the UBC business school that came out in 2014, however, found “endurance and skill at complex physical tasks peak” for hockey players in their late 20s or early 30s.

“Elite players improve faster initially, continue to improve for slightly longer and experience slower age-related decline,” James Brander, the report's lead author, told Canadian Broadcasting Corp. News. “They do not experience a major drop-off in performance until their late 30s.”

Hockey IQ can increase as well, and Kane referenced that fact when asked what's different about his game now than when he was 21.

“It's one of those things that as you get older, you learn more about the game and mature a little bit,” Kane said. “Play away from the puck, how to get the puck, how to create as best as you can. It's definitely one of those things the more experience you get, the better off you are.”

Kane certainly shows no signs of slowing down. His 11 even-strength goals are tied for the league lead with 26-year-old Jeff Skinner and 23-year-old Nathan MacKinnon, and his 12 goals overall put him in a tie for 11th.

Oh, and he's averaging a career-high 21 minutes, 40 seconds of ice time.

“I'm pretty happy with where I'm at,” Kane said. “Just keep improving. Still think I've got a little bit more to give on the ice this season.”

Said teammate and friend Jonathan Toews: “He's as consistent as they come. I feel like there's a lot of star players in the league that have those droughts and rougher starts, or even tougher seasons where they don't score as much. …

“Even when things don't go his way, he always finds a way to make something happen offensively.”

Coach Jeremy Colliton obviously knew what kind of player he had in Kane when he was hired to take over for Joel Quenneville Nov. 6.

What he might not have known was just how competitive Kane is and how much pressure he puts on himself to make the Hawks winners.

“That's tough; that's a big load to carry,” Colliton said. “He wants to make a difference every night.

“And when you're coaching a team and you've got a guy with that amount of skill, with that mentality, it's pretty fun.”

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