KANE COULD BE X-FACTOR FOR SHARKS

SAN JOSE — 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 playoff-type 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 6-foot2, 212-pound Kane appears tailor-made for hockey at time of year.

“One hundred percent. That’s just his style,” Sharks center 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.”