Emma: Kane's Points Streak Ends At 26 Games, Will Live On For Years
By Chris Emma--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- What Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane accomplished in the past 26 games prior to Tuesday night may not be topped for a long, long time.
In this modern NHL, points streaks just don't last anywhere as long as as the 26-game run that Kane just recorded. In fact, the last streak longer than his was Mats Sundin, a 30-game run in the 1992-'93 season. Kane was just four years old at the time.
After the Blackhawks' 3-0 loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday at the United Center that saw Kane's streak come to an shot-less close, he seemed appreciative of his accomplishment while appearing thoroughly exhausted.
"It was a fun run," Kane said in reflecting. "I think you never know what's going to happen with a streak. There's a lot of games where it seemed like I was down and out, and you end up getting something at the end or whatever it may be."
Kane admitted that the whole streak was "taxing," including the media obligations that come with it. Yet, he was able to keep perspective on the feat.
Kane broke the record for longest points streak by an American-born player at 19 games, then topped Bobby Hull's Blackhawks-best mark at 22. His new mark of 26 consecutive games may live on for a long time.
Even in defeat, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville could appreciate what Kane did.
"Amazing," Quenneville said. "It's pretty spectacular in this (modern-day) game."
Wayne Gretzky, "The Great One," boasts the record for longest points streak at 51 games, plus runs of 39, 30 and 28 games. This came in part because he's Gretzky, the most remarkable player ever, but also because this was a different era of hockey.
Scoring this 2015-'16 season is just a hair over five goals per game, a number that compares to the dead-puck era. The NHL has gone out of its way to increase scoring with rule changes to avoid days like those, but goals have come at a premium this year.
Hockey players can't dominate the way Gretzky once did, in part because they're bigger, stronger and faster than ever before. Superstars like Kane are sometimes swarmed with defenders, attempting to neutralize the elite skill.
"The attention that top guys get, it's hard to do game in and game out," Quenneville said, adding to his appreciation of what Kane did.
Kane nearly saw his streak come to an end on multiple occasions, including four times when he had points in the final two minutes and when he broke the Blackhawks' franchise record of 21 games with an almost-illegal hand pass that set up Artemi Panarin with the empty-net goal, in a situation in which Kane ordinarily sits on the bench. Quenneville wanted to see the streak live on.
The NHL went more than 23 years without a player reaching a points streak of 26 games. Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen wasn't even born when Sundin reached 30 games in a row.
Perhaps the player to top what Kane accomplished isn't even born yet.
"That was pretty special," Kane said. "It was definitely fun while it lasted."
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.
