Red Wings Kane Is NHL Third Star of Week

Another indication of how things are doing a 180-degree turn in Detroit came Monday as Red Wings forward Patrick Kane was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week.

The league selects a trio of players for recognition each week during the NHL regular season. Kane is the first Red Wings player to be included so far this season.

Since Todd McLellan took over as Detroit coach on December 29, Kane is the NHL’s leading scorer. His ledger is showing five goals and eight assists from eight games. Under previous coach Derek Lalonde, Kane was good for 5-9-14 totals over 29 games.

⭐️ SHOWTIME ⭐️

With 6 points in 3 games, Patrick Kane has been named the @NHL's 3rd star of the week! pic.twitter.com/vzB5HENFMU

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 13, 2025

Kane doesn’t mince words when deciphering what’s making the difference in his game. Actually, what’s making him look like the Patrick Kane of old. Previously, there was cause for concern that the 36-year-old winger was merely an old Kane.

“Just the part of our game that’s kind of always on the hunt, always playing more towards the other team’s net instead of like sitting back a little bit has been a welcome change for my game,” Kane said. “And not only my game, but the team in general.”

Red Wings Dominating NHL

The Red Wings are riding a seven-game winning streak. That’s the club’s longest run of consecutive wins since 2012. They play host to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. It’s the final game of a four-game homestand.

In eight games under McLellan’s leadership, Detroit is 7-1. The Red Wings are dominating all over the NHL stats sheet.

Patrick Kane is leading the NHL in points since Dec. 29th, with Raymond, DeBrincat, & Larkin not far behind. 👀📈 #LGRW pic.twitter.com/sugXztnfGv

— Winged Wheel Podcast (@WingedWheelPod) January 13, 2025

After Kane, teammate Lucas Raymond (3-9-12) is second in NHL scoring during the McLellan reign. Kane linemate Alex DeBrincat (6-5-11) is fourth overall. As well, captain Dylan Larkin sits sixth in NHL scoring during that span with 10 points.

Kane is enjoying a seven-game point streak.

“I mean, obviously, the chemistry with DeBrincat and (center Andrew) Copp has been really good for a while, and we’ve been playing well,” Kane said of his line. “We probably feel like we can produce a little bit more, but we’ve been getting chances and playing well in that regard.

“So try to keep pushing forward and like I said, keep playing aggressive. I think that’s a big part of our reason for success right now.”