Kane Re-Discovering "Showtime" Form Under New Coach

Entering this evening's game against the Seattle Kraken, the Detroit Red Wings are riding a six-game winning streak, which has brought the team a game above .500 at 19–18–4.  Perhaps no player has enjoyed that streak quite as much as Patrick Kane, who has four goals and seven assists during that run, with at least one point in each game.

Kane followed up his overtime winner Tuesday against the Senators with a three assist performance against his old team, the Chicago Blackhawks, Friday night. If there is one Red Wing who might argue he's enjoyed a better go of it during the streak, it's Kane's current line mate, longtime running mate, and former Blackhawk teammate Alex DeBrincat. Playing beside Kane at five-on-five and on the power play, DeBrincat has five goals and five assists during the six-game heater, and like Kane, he has at least a point in each game.

Between them, center Andrew Copp has been effective in a role coach Todd McLellan referred to as the line's "safety valve," providing defensive solidity behind two players who tend to lean toward offense.  Copp's been more than just a defender for those two though; with his hockey sense and passing, he's added value to the line in all three zones.  As Kane pointed out, Copp's well rounded game is easy to work off, saying of the University of Michigan alum, "good two-way center, very smart player, his willingness to go to the net, I think [those] are all good things in a center that Cat and I have had success with in the past."

McLellan observed the best of Kane's game in Copp's third period goal from Friday's game: "[Kane] has unreal poise with the puck.  There's traffic, there's people going everywhere, and guys are taking runs at him, and he's just so calm.  And he can hold it a little longer while he's doing that, and he's seeing things.  I thought the goal that Copp scored.  He bobbed and weaved through, slowed it down enough so that the players could catch up, I think he found [Erik] Gustafsson and then Copp, the rebound, but that was all Patty Kane just slowing things down and creating opportunities for teammates."

The present production from Kane and DeBrincat evokes memories of the best of Detroit's second half surge a year ago.  With each game they continue at this clip, the Red Wings' playoff aspirations grow more realistic.

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