National Hockey League
Quenneville: 'Could be good news' on Kane's potential return
National Hockey League

Quenneville: 'Could be good news' on Kane's potential return

Published Mar. 31, 2015 12:48 a.m. ET

With the reigning Stanley Cup champs in town and the hottest team in hockey breathing down their necks, the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night played one of their best games of the season, hammering the Los Angeles Kings 4-1.

And that wasn't even the best part of their day.

Speaking with reporters prior to the game, Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville talked about the progress of injured All-Star and leading scorer Patrick Kane. And the news may have the rest of the Western Conference sleeping a bit less easy.

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“There’s been some excellent progress,” Quenneville said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “It could be good news. We’ll see.”

According to the report, Kane has been skating regularly for nearly two weeks and took part in an optional morning skate with teammates Monday ... skating in full gear and making plays, not just skating for conditioning's sake.

“You watch him today, he does everything you’d want him to do or that he wants to do,” Quenneville said. “So I guess now we’ll just listen (for him to be) medically cleared. I would feel he’d be ready to go soon as he gets clearance. That’s what we’re waiting for."

But Quenneville also cautioned: "There’s still a process, and time is needed. Not to get too technical on the injury itself, but (when) you’re coming off an injury, the physicality part is always a test.”

Kane has been out since suffering a broken clavicle Feb. 24 against the Florida Panthers. The original timetable for a potential return was 12 weeks, leaving many to feel the most likely return would be the Western Conference finals.

Despite missing 14 games heading into Monday night, Kane still led the Blackhawks with 64 points, two more than teammate Jonathan Toews.

With the win over the Kings, the Blackhawks moved three points ahead of the Minnesota Wild for third place in the Central Division. Both teams have six games remaining in the regular season.

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