Photo Credit: Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune
After his hand pass from the defensive zone in Sunday night’s game at the United Center against the Winnipeg Jets, Patrick Kane’s assist helped him break Bobby Hull’s 44-year old point streak record for the Chicago Blackhawks. After swatting the puck out of mid-air to left wing Artemi Panarin, Kane watched him pull the puck around Jets defenseman Tyler Myers and shoot it into an empty net from the neutral zone to give the Blackhawks a 3-1 win.
Kane’s assist extended his point streak to 22 games, breaking Hull’s mark of 21 from Dec. 5 to Jan. 23 during the 1971-72 season. His streak, which began with an empty-netter on Oct. 17 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the sixth game of the season, has given him 13 goals and 23 assists so far.
Wayne Gretzky holds the NHL record with a 51-game streak (1983-84 season), in which he had 61 goals and 92 assists.
Hull watched from a United Center suite and cheered Kane’s latest accomplishment. Before the game, Hull said he hopes the streak has a lot more life. “I just hope he breaks the record and then goes on and chases Gretzky,” Hull said. “It’s only 30 (more games). It’s not a big deal. He can get 30 more, I’m sure.”
Since 1992-93, Kane is the fourth NHL player to have a point streak lasting at least 21 games. Kane’s first-period goal against the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 28 gave him the record for most consecutive games with a point by an American-born player at 19. That goal was the tie breaker with Olczyk, Toronto Maple Leafs, 1989-90, and Phil Kessel, Boston Bruins, 2008-09.
Kane will try to push the streak to 23 games when him and the Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators at United Center on Tuesday.
