Have the Red Wings Found the Right Fit for Patrick Kane?

14 games into the season, Patrick Kane has two goals and six assists for eight points.  It's early yet, but that 0.67 points-per-game is a marked decline from the 0.94 points-per-game (47 in 50 games) Kane posted a year ago in his first season as a Detroit Red Wing.  Clearly, the Red Wings—presently 30th in the NHL at 2.43 goals-a-game—need more offense from Kane, but even though he has just one point in his last five games, I see reason for optimism.

I see two reasons to believe more offense might be on its way for Kane: his new five-on-five linemates and his form on the power play.  Against the Rangers, Kane played on a line with Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher.  It's a line coach Derek Lalonde has toyed with on occasion this season and returned to on Saturday against the Rangers.  While that line didn't get onto the scoresheet (like the rest of the Red Wings), I believe Copp and Compher's skating and defensive reliability free Kane up for the kind of creative work that's defined his career.

Meanwhile, on the power play, Kane's skill as an orchestrator is paramount to the success Detroit has found of late, even if it hasn't manifest in his point total.  In their last four games, the Red Wings have scored seven goals: three on the power play, three at even strength, and one empty-netter.  The overall production needs to improve, but it's the power play that has clearly found a rhythm, and Kane is the key creator within that unit.

In the featured video above, I spoke a bit more to why I believe Kane may be heating up, if not yet on the scoresheet.

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