Rangers' Patrick Kane was brought in for playoff stage
Patrick Kane #88 of the New York Rangers plays the puck during the third period against Jake McCabe #22 of the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Apr. 13, 2023 in New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Patrick Kane scored five goals and had seven assists in the 19 games he played with the Rangers after coming over from Chicago just before the trade deadline. Not bad numbers, but they don’t exactly jump off the page. Coach Gerard Gallant didn’t need anything more, though.
“We didn’t get Patrick Kane for the last [19] games of the regular season,’’ Gallant said Saturday after the Rangers’ first practice in preparation for their upcoming playoff series against the rival Devils. “He’s been good . . . He’s going to do a lot for our group and so we feel good about the additions we made to our group, the four guys we brought in [Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola and Tyler Motte] are huge for us.’’
For Kane, a return to the playoffs, and a chance to win another Stanley Cup, was what he had in mind when he decided to waive his no-move clause and allow Chicago to trade him to the Rangers.
After winning three Stanley Cups with Chicago, things dried up there for Kane. Aside from a nine-game stint in the bubble playoffs in 2020, the 34-year-old hasn’t appeared in a playoff game since 2017.
“It’s been a while,’’ Kane said. “I think when you’re playing hockey . . . and you start playing in playoffs, the one thing you want to be known as is as a playoff performer and a big- game player. So, here we are, again. It’s been a few years, obviously and I got the chance to play in playoffs here and hopefully the team does well, [and] hopefully you’re part of that and have some big moments as well. So that’s why I came here.’’
Playoff reinforcements. The Rangers late Friday night called up four players from AHL Hartford: goaltender Louis Domingue, defenseman Libor Hajek and forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Jake Leschyshyn. Brodzinski and Domingue played in Hartford’s 4-0 win over Wilkes-Barre Friday, the team’s eighth straight win and Domingue’s ninth straight win and fourth shutout of the season. All four players were at practice Saturday.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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