It’s been a wacky night at the United Center between the Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes, but Patrick Kane stole the show as he has the tendency to do.
Kane netted his third goal of Thursday’s game midway through the third period to earn the third regular season hat-trick of his prolific career.
Patrick Kane nets his third career regular-season hat-trick. 6-3 #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/J8mXYZkmK8
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) February 24, 2017
The Blackhawks have been on fire lately and this was the team’s second hatty in two games. Jonathan Toews earned a hat-trick in Tuesday’s win over the Minnesota Wild.
It’s the first time the Hawks have had hat-tricks in consecutive games (including the postseason) since Dustin Byfuglien and Toews netted a trio of goals in Games 3 and 4 of the 2010 Western Conference Semifinal, per Christopher Kamka. He adds that the Hawks haven’t earned back-to-back hat-tricks in the regular season since 1997.
A cleanup crew was needed at the United Center after Kane beat Mike Smith to the far side.
What might make this game even more enjoyable for Blackhawks fans is that it came against Smith, who has allowed six goals on the night. Surely, nobody is feeling bad for the agitating ‘Yotes goaltender.
The Blackhawks are playing easily their best hockey of the season in February. The question is whether this impressive play is sustainable. If it is, then the Hawks might be a handful for anyone in the Western Conference when the playoffs roll around.
