How Blackhawks have won 3 in a row without Patrick Kane originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
For the first time since the second week of the season, the Blackhawks have won more than two games in a row. They’re on a nice little run right now.
The confusing part: Patrick Kane hasn’t played in any of the last three games because of a lower-body injury. Go figure, right?
The Blackhawks have beaten Arizona, Calgary and now Colorado, and they’ve scored nine goals from nine different players over that stretch. They’re getting contributions from up and down the lineup, and that’s crucial when a player like Kane isn’t around to shoulder the offensive load.
“You can’t replace Patrick Kane by one person,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said before Thursday’s 3-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche. “You have to do it by committee. Everybody’s been dialed in.”
Sometimes when your best players are out and there’s a massive void in the lineup, the attention to detail increases. It has to, because there’s very little margin for error.
During the three-game winning streak without Kane, the Blackhawks’ even-strength goal differential is + 6 and the high-danger chance differential is -1, per Natural Stat Trick. In the five games prior, the goal differential was -11 and the high-danger chance differential was -32.
The Blackhawks are giving themselves a chance by keeping things even around the house.
“He’s probably our best player most nights and we’ve all got to pick it up,” said Sam Lafferty, who scored his fifth goal of the season on Thursday. “We still miss him. We just want to keep building and keep playing hard for one another.”
The Blackhawks are playing sharper and tighter, and it’s a big reason why they’re rattled off three straight wins. Look no further than the penalty kill, which went 5-for-5 against a Colorado team that went 4-for-6 on the power play against the Blackhawks on Opening Night. All five opportunities were killed off with relative ease, too.
Kane was placed on injured reserve before the game to open up a roster spot, but it was retroactive to Jan. 3. He’s eligible to play whenever, and it sounds like he’s planning to play on Saturday. The Blackhawks are hoping they can keep the momentum going when he does return.
“It’s been a good feeling around here,” Richardson said. “It’s nice to know Patrick’s getting close and coming back with the team playing well. It’s just going to be another shot or boost in the arm for us.”
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