Patrick Kane said he was more nervous for this regular-season game than he’s been in a protracted time.
How could he not be? After weeks of hearing his name in trade speculation, fielding questions on it after which sitting at home while the one team he had ever known played three games without him, the inertia of Kane’s life only sped up once the deal was called in to the league office and he officially became a Ranger on Tuesday.
Most players who’re traded are asked about their last 24 hours. For Kane, the more appropriate time-frame in query might be the last week.
At some point he was in Chicago, where he spent all 16 years of NHL profession. The following, he was headed to Latest York.
And in a blink of a watch, Kane was skating out to a thunderous applause Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
“The blokes were form of whispering about it across the room a bit of bit, but I didn’t really know what it was going to be like until I got on the market,” Kane said after the Rangers fell 5-3 to the Senators. “Warm-ups, the pregame introduction, it’s pretty cool. It’s an incredible place to play.”
For Kane, putting on a Rangers jersey form of felt like all of the times he played for Team USA on the World Championships or the Olympics. It’s different equipment and kit. It takes some getting used to.
For therefore long, nonetheless, Kane at all times got here back to the red, white and black Blackhawks sweater. Now, that won’t be the case. For at the least the subsequent two months — however the Rangers hope it’ll be more like three and a half — Kane can be in Rangers blue.
“You go backwards and forwards in your head a bunch of times a few trade, but I just feel like that is such an incredible opportunity with what they’ve occurring here in Latest York,” Kane said in his first press conference as a Ranger Thursday afternoon. “And you understand, when the choice was still there to possibly make a move, it wasn’t the best decision, but I’m just really excited to be here.
“With this team, with the quantity of skill and good players that they’ve here, it’s just one other likelihood to make a run.
“I felt prefer it’d be experience and get out of [my] comfort zone a bit and have the ability to play for a distinct franchise, different team.”
Kane, who hadn’t seen game motion since Feb 22, looked like a player with some rust and jitters. Ending with 4 shots on goal in 19:36 of ice time, the 34-year-old was positively noticeable at times, nevertheless it was obvious just how badly he desired to provide you with a giant play in his debut with a recent team.
That won’t be an element going forward. Kane will get one other game Saturday afternoon in Boston before a four-day stretch of practices to further acclimate.
There actually were encouraging signs for the potential resurgence of Kane’s chemistry along with his former teammate, Artemi Panarin, who first skated on a line with Kane during their two seasons along with the Blackhawks. Panarin couldn’t help but joke that he was “pissed off” when he heard the Rangers had traded for his former linemate.
All jokes aside, the Russian wing has been open about how well he feels he and Kane mesh together on the ice.
“You are trying to recollect your roots and every little thing, nevertheless it’s the chemistry we had from six, seven years ago,” Kane said of the way it felt to play with Panarin again. “Like I said earlier this morning, I don’t think it’s something that’s going to occur overnight. But we’ll find it.”
