Blackhawks' Kane records first career hat trick
Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane might be leading the league in scoring this season and boast a host of other accolades over his career, but in 622 regular-season games, one offensive feat in particular had been left unaccomplished. At least until he played Game 623, that is.
Kane registered the first regular-season hat trick of his career Friday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring three of the Blackhawks’ four goals and assisting on another. In doing so, Kane took over the NHL’s goal-scoring lead from Alex Ovechkin and extended his league-leading point total to 67.
All three of Kane’s goals came off of the Blackhawks being their usual, skillful selves, completing passes with relative ease and making the opposing defense look helpless.
Hat-trick Kane. #CHIvsTOR https://t.co/wvKpzZrnqu
— NHL (@NHL) January 16, 2016
Kane’s first goal came off of a broken play that ended with Duncan Keith delivering a quick, clever backhand pass to the back door for an easy tap-in by Kane. The second goal came from a power play that Kane drew by getting cross-checked in the mouth by Maple Leafs defenseman Matt Hunwick. Kane then took a pass from Artemi Panarin in his usual spot, settled the pass and ripped a quick snapper into the open net. The final goal was as easy as they come with the Maple Leafs goalie pulled.
There were enough Blackhawks fans in the crowd in Toronto that the ice was littered with hats for the visiting team.
Kane’s only previous hat trick came in the decisive Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Kings in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. Kane finished that postseason with his second Stanley Cup title and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Now the regular season in which he completes his first career hat trick could finish with some similar individual hardware as the 2013 playoffs. Kane is making a good case for being the league’s regular-season MVP. With his four-point night, Kane has opened up a 14-point lead in the NHL’s scoring race as of this writing.
With a lead like that, and Kane on pace to have the best scoring season in the NHL since 2006-07, he’s increasing his odds of becoming the first American-born player to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP. There is a pretty crowded field, including defenseman Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators and goaltenders Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers and Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals, giving Kane his primary competition at the halfway point of the season. Still, Kane’s production and his ability to carry the Blackhawks’ offense amid key losses this offseason has been nothing short of remarkable.
It’s going to be a very interesting race to the finsh.
Patrick Kane had never had a regular-season hat trick before Friday night. (USATSI)
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