Kane appears tailor-made for playoff hockey
‘Gritty’ player excited to hit the ice in first NHL post-season
SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Monday marked a rather historic time for Evander Kane in his NHL career.
On a day that for the last eight years was usually reserved cleaning out his locker and saying goodbye to some teammates for the summer, Kane was instead turning his attention to Thursday and Game 1 of the Sharks’ first round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks.
After 574 regular-season games, since the moment he came into the league as a budding star at 18 years old, Kane, now 26, will finally get to play in the NHL playoffs for the first time.
“That’s all he’s talked about when I’ve had conversations with him,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said Monday. “There’s genuine excitement there. His game sets up well for the playoffs, the way he plays. He should be a playofftype player with how he plays the game.”
After he missed two games last week with an undisclosed injury, Kane suited up for Saturday’s Sharks game against the Minnesota Wild. Kane didn’t record a point in the Sharks’ 6-3 loss, but he finished with 21:40 of ice to lead all of San Jose forwards, helping to illustrate how large a role he has assumed since he was acquired by general manager Doug Wilson on Feb. 26 at the NHL’s trade deadline.
Kane’s been used in all situations — power play, penalty kill, and at even strength on San Jose’s effective top line with captain Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi.
Kane registered nine goals and five assists in 17 games with the Sharks, providing an all-too-rare combination of size, speed, playmaking ability and toughness. San Jose is 11-5-1 with Kane in the lineup.
With all of those attributes — not to mention the motivation of wanting to play well in a contract year — the six-foot-two, 212pound Kane appears tailor-made for hockey at time of year.
“One hundred per cent. That’s just his style,” Sharks centre Logan Couture said of Kane.
“He’s played terrific since we’ve gotten him. I’ve played against him in the past. He’s known as a tough player to play against. He plays a gritty style, he plays hard, in-your-face hockey. Those players are needed come this time of year.”
Especially in a best-of-seven series against the Ducks, who have a win-at-all-costs identity with some of the more notable power forwards in the NHL in Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler.
“I’ve obviously played against Anaheim a ton in my career and they haven’t changed much in terms of the style of play,” Kane said.
“Obviously it starts with Getzlaf and Perry. They make their team go. For me, it will be a hardnosed series, a lot of battles down low and around the net. I think we match up well.”
“I’ve said it in the past. I think I’m a playoff player,” Kane said. “I’ve watched the playoffs and when I look at the style of play and it’s something I was jealous because I wasn’t involved in it. Now I get that opportunity and I have to back those words up.”
Kane is one of a handful of Sharks players who have never played in the post-season before.
Defenceman Dylan DeMelo has been on the Sharks’ roster since the start of the 2015-16 season but has never dressed for a playoff game.
Same goes for backup goalie Aaron Dell, in his second full season with the Sharks. Barclay Goodrow, Kevin Labanc, Joakim Ryan, Tim Heed and Dylan Gambrell have also never had a taste.
Still, Kane figures to be front and centre in this series, where the lights will be brighter and the stage will be bigger than ever before in his NHL career.
“It’s a fast hard-nosed game. The intensity ramps up and the style of play. It’s hard to score,” Kane said.
“There are a lot of 2-1 games, 3-2 games, and you have to find different ways to score.
“I’ve always prided myself on being able to score in different ways and I think the physical element, as well,” Kane said.
“That’s a big part of the playoffs. Guys who have 20 hits all year the next thing you know they have 20 hits in two games. It’s definitely a different animal and I’m looking forward to experiencing it.”