Kane almost hits jackpot as Hawks beat Vegas 3-2 in shootout

Overconfidence is a dangerous thing in pro sports.

Any player on a good team who looks at an inferior opponent and thinks, "Easy win tonight," can often leave an arena wondering what hit him.

Yet, it's human nature to take underwhelming squads for granted once in a while.

"A lot of times you do," admitted Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore before the Golden Knights played the Blackhawks at the United Center on Tuesday. "Some guys think it's going to be an easy game, which by the end of it makes it almost harder because sometimes you're not ready."

This laissez-faire attitude may be one reason the Hawks have defeated Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary (twice), Buffalo and Colorado in the last six weeks. All of those squads have points percentages of .518 or better.

"Hopefully the Knights are not added in there," said Vegas forward William Karlsson.

Well guess what? They too fell victim to the supposedly underwhelming Hawks, going down 3-2 in a shootout thanks to a stunning game-tying goal by Tyler Johnson with just 54.6 seconds remaining - and then a shootout goal from Johnson.

Moments earlier, the game appeared to end in superhero, movie-like fashion when Patrick Kane unleashed a wicked slap shot from about 40 feet out that sailed into the net as the clock hit 0:00 in overtime. As Kane motored toward the net on a breakaway, the United Center came to life, with fans leaping to their feet and screaming in anticipation.

Then the puck found its mark. And it was complete bedlam.

Fans roaring. Players jumping. Kane engulfed.

What a way to finish - and possibly say goodbye to Kane if he waives his no-movement clause and is traded before the Hawks' next home game on March 2.

But it was not to be.

Officials reviewed the play and deemed the puck hadn't crossed the line before time expired.

Johnson was the only one to score in the shootout. He was happy with the win, but admitted, "it would have been cooler if Kaner would have scored that goal. That would have made it a lot more fun."

Kane, who was receiving treatment and did not speak afterward, has definitely found another level in the last week. After scoring 2 goals in Ottawa on Friday, Kane notched a hat trick in less than 31 minutes against Toronto on Sunday.

Against Vegas, Kane assisted on Johnson's tally, took a game-high 7 shots on goal and played a whopping 25 minutes.

"He's buzzing around," said Johnson, who has 7 goals in 30 games this season. "The way that he's skating, creating things and doing it that way. He's playing really well.

"Obviously he's scoring those goals, but he's putting himself in great positions. Him and his linemates are working well together right now."

While Kane didn't speak to the media, he did have some words for his teammates in the jubilant postgame locker room.

"He got up and said, 'I think our record right now is not indicative of how we're playing and how we've stuck together all year as a team. it's a good feeling,' " said coach Luke Richardson. "And he said he's enjoying it. Let's enjoy it and keep pushing ahead."

The Hawks' other goal came when Cole Guttman scored on a mini breakaway at 12:39 of the first period. It was his second straight game with a goal.

Petr Mrázek made 34 saves for the Hawks (19-32-5).

Jack Eichel and former Chicago Wolves forward Keegan Kolesar scored for the Golden Knights (34-18-5).

Injury update:

The Hawks placed forward Mackenzie Entwistle (wrist) on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 14. They also placed forward Reese Johnson in concussion protocol. Entwistle has 2 goals and 5 assists in 46 games, while Johnson has 4 goals and 2 assists in 46 games.

Meanwhile, Jujhar Khaira continues to come back from back surgery, which he underwent in February. Khaira (3G, 3A) hasn't played since December 23.