Kane extends scoring streak but Rinne shines as Blackhawks fall prey to Predators
>> LOS ANGELES: Patrick Kane extended his Chicago Blackhawks’ record pointscoring streak to 24 games with a third-period goal in a 5-1 loss to Nashville on Thursday.
Kane’s 18th goal of the NHL season wasn’t enough to overcome the Predators’ strong first period offensively and goalie Pekka Rinne’s superb play in the final period.
Rinne made 35 saves in winning for just the second time since Nov 17. He turned away at least six quality Blackhawks scoring chances in the second period, denying centre Andrew Shaw four times and robbing Kane twice.
However, the Chicago right winger poked a rebound under a prone Rinne at 5:43 of the third period to continue a streak that started Oct 17 in a 4-1 win over Columbus. Kane pumped his fist in the air after scoring as the Blackhawks fans in the building cheered loudly.
Kane’s streak is at 24 and counting, but he still has a long ways to go to catch Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record 51-game points streak.
American Kane is living on the edge with this streak. He had back-toback games where he needed points on home ice in empty-net situations to keep his streak going — one against the Winnipeg Jets with a hand-pass to Artemi Panarin who scored and one he scored himself earlier this week against the same Predators.
With 17 goals in just 28 games, Kane is on pace to become the Blackhawks’ first 50-goal scorer since Jeremy Roenick in 1992-93.
Kane started the season under a cloud of mystery after The Buffalo News reported in early August that he was the subject of a sexual assault investigation by the New York state police.
Last month, the police announced Kane would not face charges, saying there were “inconsistencies” between the evidence collected and the woman’s account of what happened.
In Calgary, Johnny Gaudreau returned after leaving with an apparent injury to put Calgary ahead late and spoil Rasmus Ristolainen’s hat trick in the Flames’ 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Gaudreau exited in the first period after a collision, but returned for the second. In the third period, he worked a give-and-go with Sean Monahan, then zipped a low shot through Chad Johnson’s pads for the 4-3 lead.
Monahan had two goals and an assist, and Markus Granlund also scored in Calgary’s fourth straight win. Jonas Hiller stopped 27 shots.
Ristolainen scored three goals in the final period, including a tying tally with 5:45 remaining. That one came when he banked a shot from the corner off the skates of Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman and past Hiller.