After watching the Blackhawks take on the Blue Jackets five times already this year, you have to tip your cap -- Patrick Kane is still really, really good.
In a game where it's harder than ever to age with grace, the future Hall of Famer has done just that. He's not that old -- just 32, which seems hard to believe considering it's been over a decade since his memorable Stanley Cup-clinching goal in the Windy City -- but with his 1,000th NHL game coming up in the next few weeks, Kane still remains one of the game's greats.
He enters tonight's play tied for third in the NHL with 30 points and he can thank the Blue Jackets in part for that success. Kane has 12 points this year in five games against the Blue Jackets, and there haven't been any cheapies in that group, as he has three goals and nine assists, all of them primary helpers.
In some ways, you just have to tip your hat to the seemingly ageless star, which the Blue Jackets did Wednesday.
"He's one of the top players in the league," Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella. "One of the best at getting lost and all of a sudden, there he is. It's a handful -- always has been, for all teams."
"He has a unique gift of making players around him a lot better," said Seth Jones, who went on to credit Kane's vision and passing ability for that trait. "He's always putting them in position to succeed or create chances offensively just because he requires so much attention. … He's tough to contain. He's Patrick Kane."
But one thing that intrigued me as well watching Tuesday night's game is the Blue Jackets have their own pretty good Patrik. Patrik Laine showed exactly why he's one of the best pure shooters in the NHL with a pair of power-play goals, but he went about each one a bit differently.
The first one was a pure laser, the kind that the 22-year-old has used to build up his reputation in the league. Laine camped out at the top of the left circle on the power play, and the entire world could see what was coming -- a pass from Jones delivered into his wheelhouse for his trademark one-timer. I could see it coming. You could see it coming. Goalie Kevin Lankinen could see it coming. But it didn't matter. Laine ripped the shot past Lankinen far side before the netminder could even move. You could almost hear the vapor trail in the press box.
The second goal was a bit different, though. Cam Atkinson threw the puck all the way across the seam, and Laine received the pass and settled it down before firing. He was a little closer to the net, in the dot rather than at the top of the circle, and this time Laine unleashed a wrist shot that again was past Lankinen -- short side this time, for variety's sake I assume -- before he could even move.
"It's pretty crazy," said Zach Werenski, who knows a thing or two about how to shoot a puck. "To see what he does in practice shooting the puck and then to go out and do it during the game, he only needs one or two shots and the puck is in the net. It's pretty unbelievable seeing it firsthand. … It's different when you see it every day, just how impressive it is."
For Blue Jackets fans, it has to be fun watching Laine on a game-in, game-out basis. You just know anytime he has the puck on his stick, something special might happen. Blackhawks fans have to feel the same way, too, about Kane.
That's what makes this sport so enjoyable to watch, right?
(Also, before I leave this section, another thing that's popped into my head watching the Blue Jackets-Blackhawks battles this year: Kane is one of the top American scorers of all time, and he's been a fixture on the U.S. national team in his career. But so has Atkinson, and the two seem like they're one-upping each other each game in the season series. So far, Atkinson has three of his own goals vs. the Blackhawks this year plus six assists for nine points in five games. That's a lot of red (lights), white and blue.)
