Kane's offense among bright spots for struggling Blackhawks

CHICAGO -- Patrick Kane just rolls with the line changes.

The Chicago Blackhawks forward was on the second line with Dylan Strome and Artem Anisimov for 15 consecutive games. But changes came at practice Saturday, when Kane skated on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Drake Caggiula.
"I really liked playing with Strome, but playing with Toews
on Monday. With the Blackhawks playing catchup for most of the night, Kane played 28:50, the most ice time logged by a forward in any NHL game this season and well above his average of 22:06.

"I think it's impressive for him to be on the pace that he's on and given the fact that no one else on our team is close to him scoring-wise," said Toews, who is second on the Blackhawks with 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists). "He just always wants to get better. He knows what he's capable of and he pushes to go even further. He's the best at that."
Kane's consistency has been a bright spot for the Blackhawks (16-24-9, 41 points), who have lost five straight (0-3-2) and are last among the NHL's 31 teams entering their game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals at United Center on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET; NBC, TVAS).
The last time Kane had steady linemates for an extended amount of time was 2015-17, when he played mostly with Artemi Panarin and Anisimov. Kane had 106 points (46 goals, 60 assists) in 2015-16, when he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player and the Art Ross Trophy as the League's top scorer. He had 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) in 2016-17.
But Kane's linemates have varied since the Blackhawks traded Panarin to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Brandon Saad on June 23, 2017. During the past two seasons, Kane has played with now-retired forward Patrick Sharp, Saad, Alex DeBrincat and Nick Schmaltz, who the Blackhawks traded to Arizona for forwards Strome and Brendan Perlini on Nov. 25.
Strome has played on Kane's line for 20 of the 25 games he's been with the Blackhawks. Strome said he doesn't try to get too fancy when he plays with Kane.
"He just demands the puck, so wherever he is, as a center you have the puck a lot more and you're trying to get it off to him, which is not a bad thing. I like doing that," said Strome, who has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 25 games. "He wants and demands the best out of his linemates, so when you're on his line, you've got to make stuff happen and you've got to make plays and contribute."

Brad Richards was one of Kane's linemates for part of the 2014-15 season. They were also together during the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Richards had the primary assist on Kane's goal in Chicago's 2-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Final, which gave the Blackhawks their third championship in six seasons.
Richards, who retired from the NHL after the 2015-16 season, said Kane's style allows him to thrive regardless of who he plays with.
"He kind of controls the game on his own, and he doesn't need help doing that," said Richards, now an adviser for the New York Rangers. "I always felt he was a top center playing the wing. He can do it all and wants to have the puck on his stick most of the time. He can shoot it, pass it and can slow [the game] down, which isn't done much in this day and age.
"He has everything, except not being 6-[foot]-4," Richards said. "But he's so smart, he doesn't need that. You can put him with anybody; he can make it go."
A big question for the Blackhawks is how long Kane can continue to play at such a high level? He said he feels great this season thanks to tweaking a few habits. He loves to constantly work on his game, so still lingers on the ice after practice is over. His physical focus is taking care of his hips after practice, doing some type of mobility throughout the day to stay loose. Kane also said he's eating better, thanks in part to his girlfriend Amanda's healthy cooking.
"I probably feel the best I ever have, to be honest," he said. "I feel like every year you find different ways to feel a little bit better, whether it's nutrition or learning what supplements your body likes or how to take care of your body after practices."
Richards said Kane has a few strong seasons left in him. Considering the numbers Kane keeps putting up, there's no reason to doubt that.
"Father Time is undefeated, so it'll hit him eventually," Richards said. "But the way he plays the game, he's so smart and doesn't take a lot of contact. I would imagine he's going to put up numbers for at least another four or five years at a really good rate. Everybody burns out at different times. Some people, their legs don't do it anymore. But I don't see that with him any time soon."