KANE CAN EXPECT RUDE ROAD RECEPTION
Kane received warmly at UC, but he should expect hostility on road
NEW YORK — Patrick Kane, whose penchant for scoring big goals and conjuring exuberant celebrations earned him the nickname “Showtime,” looked almost bashful as he stepped onto the ice during pregame ceremonies Wednesday night at the United Center.
His name was announced, then flashed on the ice in giant letters before he took a few strides and offered a sheepish smile and a grateful wave to the 22,104 cheering fans at the season opener. The cheers were even louder after Kane’s saucer pass led to Artemi Panarin’s first career goal in the first period.
“It was fun, playing hockey’s fun,” said Kane, who also was warmly received on the pregame red carpet outside the arena. “That’s what I love to do. The crowd was supportive, and in this situation, I guess you don’t really know which way it’s going to go, one way or the other.”
There are significant segments of the fan base that are justifiably upset at how the Blackhawks have handled themselves and Kane in light of the police investigation into a sexual-assault allegation against him in Western New York, especially since the ham-fisted news conference that opened training camp. But from Day 1 at Notre Dame, to the training-camp festival at the United Center, to the preseason and now into the regular season, the Hawks fans who are buying tickets have been overwhelmingly supportive of Kane.
But Friday night in Brooklyn, Kane — who has not been charged with a crime — will be on the road for the first time since the allega- tions surfaced, as the uprooted New York Islanders host their first game at the Barclays Center. Kane has no idea what to expect, but it’s a safe bet that he’ll encounter some hostile crowds on the road. Some surely will be more merciless than others — Brooklyn isn’t exactly Philadelphia or St. Louis or Vancouver— but it’ll be the first look at how Kane is being viewed outside of the Chicago bubble.
Coach Joel Quenneville said it was “tough to say” whether it’ll be harder for Kane on the road than it is at home, but he praised the winger’s focus through his off-ice troubles.
“Kane has had a good approach in camp here,” Quenneville said. “He hadn’t skated much coming in here, but I felt he’s gotten better every day. . . . He’s focused in the right way. Commend him on how he’s handled things.”
The investigation kept Kane off the ice for most of August and September, but he continued to work out. So, physically, he feels good. The timing is what he’s working on. But given all the chances the second line of Kane, Panarin and Artem Anisimov created, he seems to be getting closer to top form.
“I was able to train the way I wanted to; I just wasn’t on the ice as much as I wanted to be,” Kane said. “Conditioning-wise, I feel really good. The skating is really starting to come around. I feel good on the ice, and my shot and my hands are probably the last things to come back, but those are starting to come, too. I’m pretty happy with where I’m at.”
Follow me on Twitter @Mark Lazerus.