Will the real Patrick Kane please stand up?

[Pez68]

'nuff said I think. Disinterested and careless I think are the best descriptors at the current time for the Hawks' "all-star".

 

[Shantz My Pants]

Kane is a streaky scorer. He hasn't taken over as a dominant player such as when Toews carried the team on his back in the Vancouver series last year. Our Cup winning year he was awesome in the playoffs and had a great year. What has happened since I don't know. Maybe an injury he's playing through or something to that extent.



It's not as if he's putting up points, but the fact that in the last 15 he has only 7 points and is a -4 isn't what you'd expect from one of your star players.

 

[Pez68]

Effort just doesn't seem to be there, to me. Especially in the defensive zone.

 

[Shantz My Pants]

Effort just doesn't seem to be there, to me. Especially in the defensive zone.

Defensive zone effort has never been there. Especially when he was playing center which is your main job.

 

[bri]

Stop hating on poor Kaner. There are 18 other people out there on the ice too.

 

[sth]

The way I saw it no one showed up for most of that game. In OT no one did anything. On a side note Kane isn't a center, he shouldn't have been there. That was a huge adjustment, hard for any player. What if Toews moved to wing?

 

[Ton]

Kane has had to adjust all year with new linemates and switching positions. Can't really fault him for that, but lately he has seemed off. To be honest, it looks like something is wrong with his ankle again.

 

[Pez68]

I'm not talking about one game, guys.



Over the last month, he has been terrible. 1G, 6A, -4. He's been a huge reason the PP has struggled, as he's not moving his feet or creating anything out there. He's making bad decisions with the puck. He's not shooting. He's not passing well. He's turning the puck over constantly. He also looks extremely weak. Even weaker than he was in his rookie season.



The other team is having no problem whatsoever eliminating him from the play, as his feet just don't seem to be moving. He is also checking out of the play far too often. Three times in OT he just skated right past the Wing player with the puck, making zero effort at all to defend. On the rush he had up ice, he has the puck on his forehand, in a good shooting position, and chose to spin back towards Lidstrom, to his backhand, where he doesn't even get a shot off...



He's a core member of the team and deserves to be called out just as much as any other player that is struggling. If people can rag Stalberg(who has outplayed Kane drastically over the last month), there's no reason to cut Kane any slack. He's playing like he's mentally checked out and doesn't give a ****.

 

[the canadian dream]

I think its an injury to be honest. He hasn't been right since that flu virus. I don't think the position juggling has helped either.he should never have been playing there.



Also he started the season so strong. His stride was powerful and his hands were on fire. Shooting hard and he was actually back checking and forechecking strong. For this reason i don't think it has anything to do with effort..i honestly think he's playing with an injury. His cuts aren't strong and he has been falling a lot on his turns along the board. He has also been getting punished hard along the boards.



Kids gotta be injured. Even in past slumps he hasn't looked this bad. And lets be honest right now might be the worst he has looked in his short career. He's injured....he has to be. Players don't take a turn like this. From looking like a guy that could challenge for the point lead to a guy looking like a farm call up? Its not right.

 

[MassHavoc]

if he is going to be a superstar and poster boy with a big contract he also deserves any criticism that comes with it.

 

[sth]

if he is going to be a superstar and poster boy with a big contract he also deserves any criticism that comes with it.

Toews and Hossa are superstars too. Why can't they be criticized? They have both had stretches when they were off before. Kane shouldn't be the only one to take the heat.

 

[Shantz My Pants]

Toews and Hossa are superstars too. Why can't they be criticized? They have both had stretches when they were off before. Kane shouldn't be the only one to take the heat.

Toews is a gamer, I don't think I've seen him take too many shifts off, let alone games.



When any player isn't producing and it's quite noticable that Kane is not, then he should be called out. It's not like he's just getting the unlucky bounces; he isn't even creating those bounces.



If you read my post, I brought up his stats over 15 games, so I wasn't bashing him on the last game. His effort has been off and it does seem it's some type of injury or he's gotten lazy, and after seeing him come into the season in great shape, I don't think it's the later.

 

[the canadian dream]

Toews and Hossa are superstars too. Why can't they be criticized? They have both had stretches when they were off before. Kane shouldn't be the only one to take the heat.

Neither have slumped this season like Kane has right now. Both contribute on the back end more than Kane when their scoring is down. Kane doesn't have the luxury of a strong 2 way game. So when he is struggling or slumping on offense Kane really doesn't get the passes that Hossa and Toews might get. Unfair? Probably. But realistically Kane is paid and only expected to produce up front. So when he isn't he's going to be under the microscope a bit more than guys like Toews and Hossa whom if struggling at one end of the game do have the luxury and the abilities to make up for it on the other end.



That's just the way it is. And the questions will come up. Injured? Unfocussed? Lost confidence? I'm in the injured camp myself with what I assume would be some frustration...and understandable.

 

[supraman]

I think he's tired of listening to the coach who just shuffles shit around for the sake of shuffling shit around

 

[jakobeast]

I will agree Kaner hasn't been scoring, and hasn't looked super strong on his skates. Perhaps he is injured, perhaps the bouncing around between wing and center has thrown him off, either way, the last few weeks he hasn't been the kane we have come to know.



However, he has been getting his chances(Niemi mugged him, raped him, then said his hair looked stupid last night), and I think has been pretty decent for his size defending and seemingly in the right places when need be. I am not saying he is a power forward or anything, but I don't think he is playing super shitty.

 

[the canadian dream]

I thought he had a good game last night. I think we will see a turn around now.

 

[roshinaya]

Kane is a gamer and is skillful enough to get out of his slump. Not worried. I know he'll show up when the games really matter.

 

[howcho]

I thought he had a good game last night. I think we will see a turn around now.

I agree, I thought he looked better as well.

 

[MassHavoc]

Kane is the type of player that needs to be called out, take a hit, give a hit, somethign to get him fired up a bit. I hope people are calling him out all over the place. He may just score 40 goals the rest of the year.

 

[EspoForever]

Kane has had to adjust all year with new linemates and switching positions. Can't really fault him for that, but lately he has seemed off. To be honest, it looks like something is wrong with his ankle again.

That is what I have been wondering. He has fallen a lot lately when trying to make tight turns, he seems "tight" with the puck like he is not confident in his ability to avoid a hit. When you are 5-8 you have to be quick and elusive to stay alive...I think he is hurt and playing thru it. He's done it before, like around the Winter Classic when Dan Cleary ran him over and sprained his ankle, for example.