Kane fully able

Should Pat Kane be getting more attention? Will his masterpiece against the Canucks Monday night make him a star big enough to shine with the Crosby's, Malkins, Ovechkin's and Staal's of the world? Skill wise he's right there with those freaks, but his quiet demeanour and slick almost sneaky way of play keeps him in the shadows of the game's mega talents and personalities. On the ice, that's what makes him effective. Off of it, he's cool and coy which keeps us wondering more about the young man from all places, Buffalo. In terms of American stars he's clearly among the best, and if he ever comes out of his shell could be at the forefront of hockey's re-energization in the United States.

Memories

The last time we saw Pat Kane in London he was toying with guys twice his size and a fraction of the skill level. It was a 5 point pre-season period or something stupid like that. Then came Dale Talon's phone call and a trip out of town never to return. One of my colleague's suggested Kane might have broken some serious single season records had he stayed another year in Junior hockey. While remaining with the Knights would've been pointless for his development one can imagine the kind of ridiculous numbers he most likely would've compiled had the Blackhawks not recognized he was ready to join them. The guy popped 62 in his one and only OHL season ('06-'07) adding 83 help outs and a nice little scoring title from the world's best Junior league. If only he had enough left in the tank to prevent the Knights from getting steam rolled by Plymouth in the final four? Still, Kane's time in the OHL was quick and dirty. His NHL career won't be nearly as brief, but it could get filthy. And the signs are already upon us. Look at the Canucks. The mess Kane just made of them could take all summer to clean up.