2 weeks Ago By Kevin Allen, Detroit Hockey Now
ETROIT — Patrick Kane earned his “Showtime” nickname by delivering highlight reel-worthy plays too often to allow for an accurate count. Kane did it again Thursday at 9:46 of the third period, setting up a critical power-play goal with a perfectly-executed shot pass that Dylan Larkin turned into a goal. Then, with 3:32 remaining in regulation, he netted the game-winner, also on the power play, in Detroit’s 5-3 win against the New Jersey Devils.
“He loves to make plays,” Larkin said. “Loves to have the puck on his stick and you want to play with guys like that. He’s played for a long time, a lot of games and a lot of experience, so he’s a great feel for the game.
His hockey sense is probably the best I’ve ever played with.” On Detroit’s third goal, Kane controlled the puck at the point and then fired it purposely low at the goal mouth. Larkin opened the blade of his stick and deflected high into the net.
“The best part about that is I think he saw me and he waited a split second to let the guy, whoever was on him, his feet get out of the way, stick it out of the way,” Larkin said. “And he zipped it right in the spot it needed to be for me to be able to tip it and get it elevated.” The Red Wings work on that specific play in practice.
“It’s just a great hockey play by him,” Larkin said, joking that he didn’t quite put the puck where he was aiming. “I was hoping that I was going low glove there and then went high blocker,” Larkin “So it’s one of those things..
. Haven’t even seen it yet, but I think it went high blocker.” New Point Man? Kane normally controls the play from the right wing circle.
His buddy Alex DeBrincat , who had a goal and an assist in the game, suggests that Kane probably thinks he should be the point guy now. “I think he was screaming that on the bench,” DeBrincat said, chuckling. The Red Wings, not as dynamic offensively as they were last season, need Kane to be Showtime.
He showed patience and poise, holding the puck at the point, before firing home the second power play goal. Michael Rasmussen added an empty netter. “Whenever he has the pockets, you kind of just find spots to get open and he’s going to get it to you,” DeBrincat said.
Him playing that spot for two of the goals is pretty rare but worked out today.” This was Kane’s 77th career game-winning goal, tying Bill Guerin for the fourth-most among U.S.
-born skaters in NHL history. This was the 473rd NHL goal, tying him with Alexander Mogilny Denis Savard for 57th place on the all-time list. The Red Wings now have won three games in a row, and they have won the last two with 20 or fewer shots in each game.
That’s the first time that’s happened since at least 1958-59, maybe much longer. “Obviously,” Coach Derek Lalonde said, “two power play goals in the third was difference in the game.” This article first appeared on Detroit Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.
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