Patrick Kane closing in on 100-point mark

It’s not outside the realm of possibility but it’s still a long shot. With 16 games left to go in the season and already at the 75 point mark, Patrick Kane has a chance of becoming the first Blackhawks player to have 100 points in a season since Jeremy Roenick did so 17 years ago.

Of course, that would mean Sharp would have to average almost two points a night to beat that record. That’s ridiculous, right?

“I’d by lying to you to say I wouldn’t be thinking about it,” Kane said. “You do think about it, about having a good stretch. But if you worry about that too much it sinks in a little bit and you don’t play as well.

“For me personally, I just have to worry about playing the game hard and trying to make something happen and be determined to make something happen every shift. Then that stuff will taker care of itself.”

Kane is already at a career high in the midst of an exceptional season with the Blackhawks. Whether or not he hits 100 points is entirely irrelevant, but perhaps the chase will give him some extra push as the regular season draws to a close. I know that individual awards and accolades shouldn’t affect how a player performs, but we all know that’s the case.

Good for him if he makes it, and it would certainly take a remarkable run to get there. But I bet anything I have that Blackhawks fans would much rather their team be playing as best they could -- as a team -- against focusing on an individual points mark for Kane. The good news is that Kane’s success in the chase will directly and positively impact the team’s performance overall.

So what do I know. Maybe individual goals are good for the team.