Oct. 10--NEW YORK -- It was a sight Blackhawks fans have seen numerous times in the past.
Patrick Kane put his stick on the puck 15 minutes, 11 seconds into the second period Friday night and sailed it into the net. Kane skated into a corner and received congratulations from teammates.
What happened next was not normal. A pocket of fans who had been taunting Kane all game continued their chants of "No means no," a reference to the sexual assault investigation involving Kane stemming from an August incident at his home in western New York.
When the public addressed announcer credited Kane with the goal, the crowd rang out in a chorus of boos. But Kane's night wasn't over. He eventually silenced the crowd with the winning goal in overtime as the Hawks topped the Islanders 3-2 for their first victory of the season on a night of firsts in Brooklyn.
"I didn't even hear anything," Kane said. "(There are) a couple of different things that you expect in the situation but I didn't hear an chants or anything like that. I thought it was a good crowd. They were excited for their team coming into a new building."
It was the first game for the Islanders in their new home after moving out of the dumpy but charming Nassau Coliseum and into the modernized but corporate Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
But it was also the first time Kane faced a road crowd since the investigation began and he heard a reaction different from the support he has received from Hawks fans at the United Center. For much of the game, however, most of the crowd left Kane alone. It seemed more interested in other matters, such as chanting "We want ice girls," whenever the ice crew would come on the ice during breaks. The Islanders did away with the cheerleading squad this offseason. Kane said he is expecting to deal with jeers and chants throughout the season.
"It's nothing I'm too worried about," Kane said. "You don't expect them to be super nice when you're going into a road building."
Kane's first goal broke a 1-1 tie in the second period.
Friday was the first time a pair of Viktors, Viktor Tikhonov and Viktor Svedberg took the ice in a Hawks sweater.
And Friday was the first goal as a Hawk for center Artem Anisimov, who came to the Hawks in the offseason from the Blue Jackets for Brandon Saad.
Anisimov scored an impressive backhand goal with the Hawks on the penalty kill in the first period.
The game went to the first 3-on-3 overtime for both the Islanders and Hawks, with the Hawks prevailing on a 4-on-3 power play during the extra session after Marian Hossa drew a penalty on Islanders defenseman and former Hawk Nick Leddy.
At 1:49 of overtime, Kane flipped the puck toward the net where captain Jonathan Toews had position, a set play the Hawks have tried before with a man advantage. The puck deflected into the net, apparently off defenseman Travis Hamonic.
"Hockey is a funny game," Kane said. "Sometimes you play well and you come out with no points and sometimes you don't play as well and you have a couple of goals."
At least on the ice Friday night, everything appeared the same for Kane and the Hawks.
chine@tribpub.com
