It's been a roller coaster of a season for Patrick Kane, who found himself donning another team's jersey for the first time after the Chicago Blackhawks traded him prior to the deadline.
The 34-year-old may be rocking new threads, but he showed his usual playoff prowess, scoring his first postseason goal as a New York Ranger during Thursday's Game 2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
"It's special," he said after the 5-1 decision that gave the Blueshirts a commanding 2-0 series lead. "It was obviously a tough decision, leaving Chicago, but I think these are the moments you leave and come to New York - for a situation like this, right?
"You're on a good team, there's gonna be moments in the playoffs where you're called on to step up and try and produce. It was nice to do that tonight. Makes it all worth it."
Kane is used to being called upon to deliver in big moments. He won three Stanley Cup championships and one Conn Smythe Trophy with the Blackhawks, and he has the fifth most playoff points among active players in the league:
| Rank | Player | GP | G | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidney Crosby | 180 | 71 | 201 |
| 2 | Evgeni Malkin | 177 | 67 | 180 |
| 3 | Nikita Kucherov | 138 | 53 | 157 |
| 4 | Alex Ovechkin | 147 | 72 | 141 |
| 5 | Patrick Kane | 138 | 53 | 136 |
Kane last suited up for a playoff game in 2019-20, when the Blackhawks bested the Edmonton Oilers in the qualifying round before being ousted by the Vegas Golden Knights.
With his playoff hiatus now behind him, Kane said he feels the same way that he always does in the postseason.
"There's nothing like playoff hockey, getting in there and scoring a playoff goal, just being part of the action," he said.
Kane led the Rangers with three points during Game 2 and was pleased with his response after describing his performance during the series opener as "passive."
New York was outshot and outchanced with Kane on the ice in Game 1, but it was a different story Thursday. The Rangers owned 57.9% of the shot attempts, 79.6% of the expected goals, and outshot the Devils 8-2 when the veteran winger was out there at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.
Prior to Game 2, Kane hinted at what was to come.
"There's more that I have to give. People should expect more from me," Kane said following Wednesday's practice, per the New York Post's Larry Brooks. "I think there have been some good moments, but it hasn't really been as consistent yet."
Next up for Kane is his first playoff game in Madison Square Garden as a Ranger on Saturday night.
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