May 14--Patrick Kane is listed on the Blackhawks roster at 5-foot-11. By now, he is accustomed to playing against players who are a bit taller than he is.
But few teams possess the height of the Ducks, who will trot out several players who are 6-2 or taller when the teams meet in the Western Conference finals.
That includes forwards (6-4 Ryan Getzlaf, 6-3 Corey Perry) and defensemen (6-3 Hampus Lindholm, 6-4 Simon Despres, 6-3 Clayton Stoner).
Kane said Wednesday that height might have been more of an issue for him to contend with a few years ago, but hockey has evolved -- and shrunk -- to Kane's size.
"I would say if it was like the early 2000s or late 1990s, it seemed like it was a bigger man's game and it would be tough for guys our size to end up even making the NHL," Kane said. "But I think with the rule changes and the way the game's changed as far as what you can do defensively, small guys are able to get away with a little more and are able to be a little bit more productive."
It's hard to be more productive than Kane, who has seven goals and six assists in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Kane said when he is on the ice, the size of an opponent can affect play, but it doesn't affect how he goes about his business.
"There are still a lot of dominant players that are big and strong, like the Perrys and Getzlafs of the world, but when you're on the ice, especially for me, I don't really tend to think about my size or if I'm bigger or smaller than a guy when you're going up against him," Kane said. "You just try to do what you can."
Desjardins back: After missing Sunday and Monday's practice because of an illness, winger Andrew Desjardins was back in his usual spot on the Hawks' fourth line, a line that was effective against the Wild. Coach Joel Quenneville, who likes to mix and match his lines, hasn't touched them since the beginning of the series against the Wild.
Third line thumbs up: Quenneville mentioned he liked the production from his third line of Patrick Sharp, Antoine Vermette and Teuvo Teravainen in the series against the Wild. Teravainen scored his first postseason goal in Game 1, Sharp had a goal and three assists while Vermette's faceoff percentage did not dip below 55.6.
"Teuvo, Sharpie and Vermie all played well and all contributed in different ways to that line's success," Quenneville said. "If they check well, there are opportunities to enhance putting the puck into the net."
chine@tribpub.com
