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Will off-ice issues affect Patrick Kane as season progresses?

NHL, Chicago Blackhawks

Hot or not

LuongoRoberto Luongo, Florida Panthers
Luongo stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced in the Panthers' 2-1 overtime win over the Red Wings; he's now won back-to-back games after losing his previous three starts.


VarlamovMike Green, Detroit Red Wings
Green's offensive struggles continue, with the big offseason acquisition stuck on one goal in 18 games so far this season. Green also took six minutes in penalties in the Wings' loss to the Panthers.


In the wake of a tumultuous offseason, what is the significance of Patrick Kane's record point streak?

Scott Burnside@ESPN_Burnside: Winning streaks, goal streaks, point streaks: We all love the idea of sustained success. It captures the imagination, and in an NHL where parity rules and scoring is again a hot-button issue, now is an opportune time to consider Patrick Kane's impact on the record books. With a goal midway through the first period in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings (he would add an assist later), Kane recorded a point for the 19th straight game -- a record for an American-born player. Is that meaningful in the same way Alex Ovechkin recently became the highest-scoring Russian player ever was considered meaningful? We think so. And over the course of a long season, impressive streaks like Kane's -- much like recent winning streaks by the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers -- will demand our attention. The two-time Olympian would surely love to become the first American-born player to win a scoring title, and his current streak has seen him surge to the top of the race, just ahead of the Dallas Stars' duo of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. That Kane began the season facing rape allegations, and remains under investigation by the NHL for that incident, continues to serve as part of the narrative for this season. Still, no matter why we follow his accomplishments, Kane continues continues to deliver the goods. How long can he keep it going? And do you care? 


Pierre LeBrun@Real_ESPNLeBrun: Kane is out-of-his-mind brilliant for the second season in a row -- remember, he was leading the league in scoring last season before suffering a broken collarbone -- and to me he's the Hart Trophy front-runner. It's hard to single a guy out on a team powered by an engine like Jonathan Toews and also claiming reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Duncan Keith, but Kane deserves early-season praise. However, I have say, the record streak for U.S. players is kind of cheesy, no? I mean, the overall record is 51 games by Wayne Gretzky, second-best is Mario Lemieux at 46 games and Gretzky also had streaks of 39 and 30 games. Even Mats Sundin had a 30-game streak in 1992-93 with the Quebec Nordiques. It's surprising to me, given all the great U.S.-born players we've had over the years, that 19 games is the record.


Craig Custance@CraigCustance: To me, if Kane continues to play this well all season long, the interesting debate happens after the season. If he hadn't gotten hurt last season, Kane certainly would have been in the Hart conversation, although it would have been hard to imagine anyone prying it away from Canadiens goalie Carey Price. Now, Kane's arguably in the Hart Trophy driver's seat, but will voters be comfortable voting for a player who was the center of a rape investigation all summer long? Kane maintained his innocence, and charges were dropped because of a lack of credible evidence. So, is that it? Does any of that factor in when it comes time to vote? It's still a long ways away, but at some point that may become a question voters have to consider.


Joe McDonald@ESPNJoeyMac: While contemplating this question on Kane, I couldn't help but think of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Normally, I'm not a big fan of comparing sports, especially at the professional level, but in this case it works. After being accused in the Deflategate scandal, Brady has been on a mission this season, and the Patriots are 10-1. In Kane's case, he maintained his innocence after being accused of a crime -- one far more serious than tampering with footballs -- and no charges were filed after the original allegations. You can't tell me that there's no connection between these players' success this season and the outside distractions. Like Brady, Kane has been motivated the entire season, and the Blackhawks forward is proving it on the ice with his current streak. I'm not saying either player is perfect away from the field/ice -- and again, the gravity of what they've been accused of is not the same -- but any team would take a player like Kane and Brady between the lines. So, yes, Kane should continue his dominance even when his current streak ends.


Around the league

  • The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers engaged in a war of words over the weekend, with the Bruins defending comments made about Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. 

  • Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli expressed his disappointment over his new team's lack of success so far this season. 

  • With Kane scoring at a crazy pace, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has been more able to show his feisty side in recent weeks. 

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