Preview: Blackhawks at Sharks

[November 25, 2015]  Chicago's Patrick Kane is producing at an MVP level despite going through a recently concluded sexual assault investigation that found no wrongdoing and tries to extend his point streak to 17 games when the Blackhawks visit the red-hot San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. Kane, who led the NHL with 32 points through Monday's games, uses his exceptional skills on the ice as an escape, but another hostile crowd in the Shark Tank will certainly try to take him off his game.

"Hockey has been my little getaway from everything,'' Kane told reporters. "It's almost like after school or something, when you don't want to worry about your homework, you get to go play with your friends. That's kind of what the feeling has been for me." Chicago fell to 1-1-1 on its six-game road trip after completing a swing through Western Canada with a 6-3 loss in Vancouver on Saturday. San Jose, meanwhile, returns home for three games loaded with confidence after sweeping a six-game road trip through the Eastern time zone. "I think that 6-0 at the NHL level at any time is quite a feat," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer told reporters. "But to go on the road and rattle off those wins in the buildings we just played in, I think is a real testament to the character of our group and the leadership of our group."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (11-8-2): Kane deflects credit to his linemates - rookie left wing Artemi Panarin (seven goals, 21 points) and center Artem Anisimov (nine goals, 15 points) - for the fast start. "(It's) probably the most productive (line) in the short period of time we've been together," Kane told reporters. "I don't want to say it's easy to do that, but I guess the tough part comes now, when teams are expecting you to produce and there's a little bit more awareness on some guys, or your line, specifically." Defenseman Brent Seabrook (15 points) has three assists in his last four games while captain Jonathan Toews (seven goals) has 14 points.

ABOUT THE SHARKS (13-8-0): Captain Joe Pavelski boasts team bests of 12 goals and 20 points after scoring twice in San Jose's 5-3 victory over Columbus and recorded four goals and seven points during the Sharks' first 6-0-0 road trip in club history. Defenseman Brent Burns (eight goals, 17 points) has tallied three times in his last two games while Joel Ward (eight goals, 17 points) recorded three assists in his last two contests. Martin Jones (11-5-0, 2.02 goals against average, .929 save percentage) was named the NHL First Star of the Week Monday after winning three games and recording his third shutout of the season.

OVERTIME

1. Kane is five games shy of tying Bobby Hull (1971-72) for the longest point streak in club history and two away from matching the longest by an American-born player, first set by former Blackhawk Eddie Olczyk and equaled by Phil Kessel.

2. San Jose is 1-for-13 on the power play over its last three games but has killed 10-of-11 penalties during that span.

3. Chicago won two of three meetings by a combined 11-4 last season with San Jose prevailing 2-0 in the other encounter.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Sharks 2

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