Patrick Kane: Detroit Red Wings look like they'll 'be a tough out' in playoffs

Patrick Kane plans to be back in the Detroit Red Wings' lineup following the NHL's All-Star break, full of health, sunshine and playoff hopes.

Kane hasn't played since suffering a lower-body injury Jan. 14 on his first shift against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. To the relief of Kane and the Wings, it was not related to the invasive hip surgery he underwent June 1.

"Nothing with the hip, which is good," Kane said Tuesday. "The hip feels really good, to be honest with you. At the same time, it's frustrating when the hip feels good and something else comes up. But, you try to find the positives in every situation and maybe it gives me a few weeks to let everything settle down. I think I played 19 games there in a pretty short amount of time, so, get some rest. We have the break coming up, and I should be good to go after that. I don't see any reason why I wouldn't be able to come back after the break."

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Kane was hit twice during the game in Toronto; he said he thinks "it was the first, but I was skating fine back to the bench, and then I felt something on the bench."

Kane debuted with the Wings on Dec. 7 and had seven goals and nine assists when he left a minute into his 19th appearance. Kane is a three-time Stanley Cup champion (with the Chicago Blackhawks) and immensely gifted, but for a 35-year-old coming off a 6-month layoff and joining the NHL when everyone else was up and running, his output was stellar.

"I had a lot of success there for a short amount of time, like five or six games, and then things go dry a little bit and then you heat up again," Kane said. "I was starting to feel pretty good when I got injured, so that's frustrating, but I'm pretty happy with how everything has done so far. Being off 6 months and coming back and being able to play at a pretty good level and feel pretty good doing it, that's the most important thing."

Kane has watched games from press boxes since the injury, getting a bird's-eye view as the Wings have won four of their past six games.

"I think we're playing predictable. It seems everyone understands what the next play is out there. I don't really see too many big mistakes. That's a big thing in this league, if you can make your opponent work for everything they get. We've been playing pretty stingy defensively, and a lot of depth scoring, too.

"I think we'd be a tough out in a seven-game series, the way we're playing right now. It's been impressive. The team has been playing great of late, especially on this home stand, and taking advantage of playing at home is a big thing. Nice to see us get some much-needed points and being in a playoff spot going into the break."

Kane is part of a group, along with Daniel Sprong and Lucas Raymond, that is headed to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on Thursday morning when the Wings enter the week-long All-Star/winter break. (Alex DeBrincat will represent the Wings at All-Star events in Toronto this weekend.) Kane, though, will be taking a back seat on the trip — literally: He laughed as he revealed that by the time he booked seats for himself, his significant other and their son, all the first-class seats were taken.

Getting Kane back in the lineup when the Wings return to action Feb. 10 against the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Canucks will help stoke their hopes of ending a seven-year playoff drought.

"The frustrating part about the timing of the injury was that he was starting to take some ownership of the group," coach Derek Lalonde. "He was involved in some leadership meetings, was a little more vocal during games. He was getting a lot more comfortable.

"He's an absolute pro — his demeanor, his approach, are great. I think he can be very valuable for the group, so we will be excited to get him back after the break."

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from  Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Patrick Kane: Detroit Red Wings look like 'a tough out' in playoffs