Well that was brutal. The Hawks lost 2-0 to the awful Nashville
Predators tonight. The effort was bad, the ice was bad, the opponent
was bad.
The only redeeming quality about tonight's game was the effort of Hawks goaltender Cristobal Huet, who was outstanding again.
Some would argue Patrick Kane had a great game. He played very
well...at times. What frustrates the hell out of me about Kane is his
effort.
Those who heard my playoff postgame shows on the Score last summer heard me criticize Kane more than once.
The kid is an elite talent. He's great. Perhaps the most exciting
athlete in Chicago sports, but his campaigning for calls, pouting, and
acting annoy me beyond belief.
His playmaking and stickhandling were unreal tonight, but decided to slump back to the bench on several occasions. His maturity has been an issue, on and off the ice.
Kane seems to pout and sulk if the play doesn't go his way. He was checked in the corner, and took his time getting up.
In the closing seconds tonight, he had a shot on net and was slashed. Instead
of fighting hard for the puck, he looked back at the ref asking for a
penalty. Patrick, there are :10 seconds left. Dig in and get the
puck. Screw the blown call.
I'm not sure it's a issue right now teamwise, but antics like this have an affect on teammates. There out there busting their butts, while he
floats and sulks.
Granted...he's a scorer. That's his job. I don't have a problem with
Kane not finishing checks, winning board battles or backchecking.
He's actually been much better this season defensively. I just want his body language to change.
Maybe I'm nit picking, but I want him and the Hawks to be great.
I'm positive he will grow out of this at some point. The instances have been fewer and farther between this season and he is surrounded by leadership. Guys like John Madden, Jonathan Toews, and Marian Hossa will rub off on him. Let's just hope Kane can get it 100% out of his game. Once he does, I will have no complaints...probably.
Filed under: Blackhawks, Chicago Sports, Cristobal Huet, danny mac show, hockey, NHL, NHL 10, Patrick Kane, sports, wscr
Tags: blackhawks, cristobal huet, danny mac show, hockey, NHL, patrick kane, Sports, wscr
Yep, you're nitpicking. Kane was one of the few guys last night who even looked remotely interested.