Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Without Toews, Patrick Kane is the leader the Blackhawks need

St. Louis Blues v Chicago Blackhawks

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 13: Patrick Kane #88 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates his game-winning goal in a shootout against the St. Louis Blues at the United Center on March 13, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Blues 4-3 in a shootout. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Often when a team’s captain goes out of the lineup, they’ll fall into a funk. Losing a leader can make that happen. In Chicago, Jonathan Toews’ concussion has him out of action but it’s opened the door for Patrick Kane to step up in a big way.

CSNChicago’s Tracey Myers finds out from forward Jamal Mayers that Kane’s game and his leadership are helping them persevere without their captain.

“I’ve been telling him for a couple weeks now that he’s surprised me in raising his game,” Mayers continued. “He’s skating the best he’s ever skated. And you add his vision and awareness on the ice and he has the opportunity to be the best player on the ice every night.”

It’s nice to have a wealth of riches like that and Kane stepping up as big as he has lately makes life a lot easier.

Kane heads into tonight’s game against the Capitals on a four-game points streak with two goals and four assists in that span. In the 12 games Toews has missed, Kane has put up nine points all while Chicago has gone 7-4-1 in that span. Not a bad run for a guy you wouldn’t expect to jump into a leadership role.