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Duff: As Long as Red Wings Have Kane They Are Able

Veteran winger comes through again with OT winner

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2 weeks ago

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Patrick Kane, detroit red wings
Red Wings star Patrick Kane lives for the big moment and delivers in them as well.

Let’s be honest, for the longest time Tuesday night things weren’t trending well for the Detroit Red Wings.

Goalie Alex Lyon left the game with an injury. Power-play goals were going in their net. Escaping their own end of the rink was proving to be a daunting challenge.

It was all beginning to look hauntingly familiar.

Yet for the all the qualities the Ottawa Senators can bring to the ice, there was one element the Red Wings were in possession of that the Sens couldn’t match.

Detroit has Patrick Kane on the bench. And they don’t call him Showtime because he shies away from stepping to the fore at big moments.

Wiring a shot off a faceoff past Ottawa goalie Anton Forsberg, Kane scored the game-winning goal on the power play with 2:39 remaining in overtime in Detroit’s 3-2 come-from-behind victory.

In doing so, Kane recorded his 13th career overtime goal, tying Auston Matthews for the fourth-most by a U.S.-born skater in NHL histo-
ry behind Max Pacioretty (16), Johnny Gaudreau (15) and JT Miller (14). Kane leads all Red Wings skaters with four game-winning goals this season.

Kane has scored 11 game-winning goals since Jan. 13, 2024, trailing only Brayden Point (14) and Leon Draisaitl (13) for the most among all NHL skaters in that span.

“It’s hard to score in this league,” teammate Joe Veleno said, before pausing to reconsider. “Well, maybe not for him.”

Red Wings Kane Lives For These Moments

Did we mention that it was Patrick Kane bobblehead night at Little Caesars Arena?

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Kane said, almost sheepishly. “I mean, I don’t know if it matters too much, but nice to come through on those nights, I guess.”

Did he want the puck on his stick with the game on the line? You better believe he did.

“It’s always fun to play in overtime, right?” Kane explained. “No matter what happens out there, I think you have the chance to get the puck and create with that much ice.”

That’s the thing about Kane. He’s one of those rare players who you never take your eyes off of when he’s on the ice. Something special could unfold at any given moment.

“His poise with the puck is uncanny,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said of Kane. “How he can slow things down, speed it up. Probably an underrated shot. I never gave him enough credit for a shot like that, that he scored on.

“He quietly leads, goes about his business and everybody kind of follows. So it’s nice having him around for sure.”

McLellan Honored To Coach Kane

It’s been splendid to have Kane on their side of late. He’s showing 4-4-8 totals on a five-game point streak that’s coinciding with Detroit’s five-game winning streak. That pace has catapulted the Red Wings back into the Eastern Conference wild card race. They’re just two points out, although there’s four teams between them and the coveted eighth spot.

If they get there, you can bet Kane will be a factor. He’s been a difference maker his whole career and he’s making a big difference during this dramatic Detroit turnaround.

“I’m honored to be his coach, to tell you the truth,” McLellan said. “You watch him all those years and try and solve him all those years.

“I’m glad I don’t have to do that.”

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Steve B

I’ll always advocate for Kane. He’s still special, and I would rather have him on our ice than on someone else’s while he’s still got gas in the tank and goals on his stick. I knew he’d get a bounce from this coach. When McLellan first came in, he was saying the same things Kane was saying at the start of the season. It’s a good match up.

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Mike Babcock

Showtime! 😁

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