DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted a game-day notebook which focuses on Patrick Kane’s resurgence…
Kane is currently enjoying a four-game point streak after he recorded two assists against the Jets, which marked his second consecutive multi-point game and seventh multi-point performance of the season.
In his last 10 games, Kane has notched 11 points (five goals, six assists).
“I think I could kind of feel it coming, even when I was struggling a little bit,” Kane said about his recent production. “I could kind of feel chances starting to come and create a little bit more. I felt a little bit unlucky at the start of the year, but at the same time you’re still not playing as well as you should have.”
As well as coach McLellan’s take on the challenges which the Senators present:
Fifth in the Atlantic Division, the Senators have gone 4-4-0 on their current nine-game road trip and are coming off a 4-0 shutout loss to the St. Louis Blues last Friday. Leading Ottawa in scoring with 40 points (12 goals, 28 points) is Tim Stutzle, who is just three points ahead of captain Brady Tkachuk (37 points) and four in front of Drake Batherson (36 points).
Netminder Linus Ullmark is week-to-week with an upper-body injury and hasn’t played since Dec. 22 for the Senators, who have since divided the starting duties between goalies Leevi Merilainen, Anton Forsberg and Mads Sogaard.
Detroit and Ottawa most recently met on Dec. 5, when the Red Wings fell short on the road, 2-1.
“They’re obviously a great team,” McLellan said about the Senators. “They’ve turned the corner, in my opinion. [Head coach Travis Green] has done a really good job. The test will be to play against them, but more importantly, it’ll be how do we respond to some, not adversity, some feel good time now? Are we prepared to build on it? Are we prepared to just sit on it? Are we going to give it back? One of those three things is going to happen, and I’d like to think the built part will show up. But until we take the test, we don’t know.”
