The Blackhawks' First Quarter: Second to none (for now)

The Hawks reached the quarter mark in the season while I was in Chicago, actually. Still, much like I've done for the other 20 games this year, I listened on the radio to every awful goal of a 9-2 shellacking from the Oilers. I suppose I was once again in that bed in the basement, just like I was oh so often during that Stanley Cup season. And damned if this team didn't get off to an otherwise pretty damn good start to this year's run.

Whereas your author said something about how he'd "be surprised if they didn't have a little stumbling out of the gate," well ... color me surprised, I guess. I wouldn't rush to say that my pre-season pick of Detroit still taking the division should be dismissed just yet, but the team is still in a better spot than I had originally anticipated. But who really knew the Jackets would be that bad?

The schedule's going to start getting tougher and this is the portion of the year where you wince and hope whomever gets hurt isn't out for too long. I suppose I've had my complaints about some of the defense thus far this year, but overall the feeling is fairly optimistic.

So the Hawks sit at the top of the division after one quarter, although every other team has at least a pair of games in hand. Still, like I said, better than expected. You hope they can keep it up.

Most of the bigger names on the team have been doing what they're paid to do, so while you could make cases for the contributions Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp or Marian Hossa have made thus far, there's really just no denying that Patrick Kane's shined brightest thus far.

A few days before the quarter ended here's how Barry Rozner put it in the Daily Herald:

Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees.

And that may be the case in Chicago with Patrick Kane, who is playing as well as anyone in the NHL right now for a team that leads the league in points.

Truth be told, I hadn't thought about it in those lofty terms until recent conversations with a couple of longtime NHL execs — one in each conference — and each independently made a reference to Kane being the best player in the NHL.

Best player in the league? It's a big statement to make.

The Blackhawks will be through a quarter of the season by Saturday night, and Kane is currently third in plus-minus (+11), eighth in assists (13), 10th in points (19, 5 behind the leader), while playing center for the first time in his pro career and averaging 19:31 per game, the highest of his career.

He has been responsible defensively, and he's winning 46 percent of his faceoffs, not a great number but surprisingly decent for someone who hasn't played the position at this level and is facing off against the best in the world.

Of course, what makes Kane special is how dangerous he is offensively and how he's playing with the extra space and puck possession he's allowed at center.

It's awfully early to be talking about awards or projections, but folks around the league have taken notice of how Kane has grown up on the ice, how much more consistent his effort is throughout a game, and how difficult he's making life for the opposition.

Is Kane the NHL MVP so far? He's in the conversation, and I don't know many people who would have made that prediction in September.

Any way you slice it, Patrick Kane has been a force and is one of the stories of the NHL season so far.

You can read that whole column here ... if you're a subscriber.

PHOTO FOR THE GRAPHIC CAME FROM THIS GALLERY