LAS VEGAS — Patrick Kane’s first game back in a Chicago Blackhawks sweater delivered the familiar highlight, even if the opener at T-Mobile Arena ended in a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Kane scored on a patient breakaway at 4:04 of the third period, pulling Chicago within 3-2 before Vegas answered and pulled away. The 37-year-old forward carried the puck in from just inside the blue line, shifted it across his blade and waited out the goaltender before finishing the chance.
“When it gets through the defenseman and you’re chasing it down on a breakaway, you’re excited,” Kane said. “I tried to stay patient, let him make the first move and hold onto it. It was nice to see it go in.”
Kane puts his stamp on the return
- Kane signed a two-year, $16 million contract with Chicago on July 23, carrying an $8 million average annual value.
- He opened the season on the Blackhawks’ first line at right wing alongside left wing Oliver Moore and rookie center Roman Kantserov, who was making his NHL debut.
- In the third period, Kane moved onto a unit with Tyler Bertuzzi on the left side and Frank Nazar in the middle. Kane spent much of training camp skating with Nazar.
- His breakaway goal became the 509th of his NHL career and the 447th he has scored as a Blackhawk.
- Vegas restored control after Kane made it a one-goal game, handing Chicago a difficult result in the season opener for both clubs.
The goal was Kane’s eighth in a Blackhawks season opener. Only Bobby Hull, with 11, has scored more opening-night goals for Chicago.
Kane put four shots on net, rang a power-play attempt off the post in the second period and played 21:36. Only defenseman Bowen Byram logged more ice time for Chicago, skating 25:08.
“Kaner was really good,” Byram said. “That breakaway move was the kind of play he always seems to make. He created chances and made things happen, so it was good to see him get his first one.”
Chicago finds its footing too late
The Blackhawks had little margin against a Vegas club that reached the Stanley Cup Final last season before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes. Chicago absorbed pressure early, including two first-period penalties that disrupted the bench rotation and left several players short on ice time.
Coach Jeff Blashill felt Kane settled in as the game progressed.
“The goal was obviously a great one, and I thought he played well,” Blashill said. “Those early penalties kept some players from getting into the game, and that may have affected our rhythm. We have to handle that better, but overall I liked his game.”
Kane’s view matched that assessment. He said both he and the club improved as the game moved along, but Chicago could not afford to surrender another goal after closing within one.
“It’s a tough way to start,” Kane said. “We got better as the night went on, but giving one up after making it a one-goal game hurt. There are plenty of lessons there. It’s the first game, and you have to take what happened, learn from it and improve.”
Chicago has not reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2019-20, and the opener underscored the work still ahead for a young group. Kane, though, provided a reminder that the scoring touch which made him one of the franchise’s defining players remains intact.
Comfortable again in Chicago colors
Kane spent his first Blackhawks run from 2007 through 2023, helping Chicago win Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. His return puts him in a different dressing room, with a new coaching staff and a much younger roster, but wearing the road whites again still carried weight.
“Coming back to Chicago feels comfortable because it’s what I did for so many years,” Kane said before the game. “At the same time, it’s a different team and different coaches, so there is an adjustment. But I love the jersey. I always felt like it was one I was supposed to wear, and it’s fun to be back.”
