Kane to play Left Wing.

DP · Nov 10, 2010

ESPN.Chicago.com

You may not see Dave Bolland on the ice Wednesday when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Phoenix Coyotes, but there's a good chance you'll see Patrick Kane play left wing.

Kane has been a right winger for almost the entirety of his career, but Joel Quenneville has decided to change things up again and put Kane on the left side with Marian Hossa in his normal position on the right.

"We haven't tried that combination or look, hopefully we find something that we like and continue moving forward with it," Quenneville said after Tuesday's practice.

The two wingers lined up with Bolland at center, but Bolland was declared out for Wednesday's game as he didn't take contact during practice on Tuesday. Either way, Quenneville sounded committed to Kane's move to the left side.

But is Kane?

"I played left wing in junior, so I'm used to it a little bit more," Kane said. "I think it could be a good fit, and I think if we're in their end more than ours it's not really going to make a difference."

When Hossa debuted with the Hawks last November in San Jose, Quenneville put an all-world line together of him, Kane and Jonathan Toews, with Kane at left wing. They dominated for a short while but the experiment ended when the Hawks offense dried up a couple games later.

"To be honest with you, it's pretty nice playing right wing," Kane said last November when he returned to the right side. "I went back there in the third period [against Los Angeles] and felt pretty comfortable there."

It sounds like there is little doubt he'd rather play on the right side, at least that's how he felt last year.

"You're playing a position for three straight years, you get comfortable," Kane said on Tuesday. "I'm not expecting it to be great right away, but at the same time I feel with my two linemates we should pretty much be in their end the whole game.

"On the right side, if you watch me for a while, I pretty much take it down the wing and curl up and hit the late guy. I wouldn't say it's eliminated on the left side, but I'm just going to have to create a little more space to do it, because you're on your back hand."

Hawks television analyst Eddie Olczyk, who played all three forward positions, thinks there is a difference from one wing to the other but not anything Kane can't overcome.

"It's when you come out of your zone with the puck," Olczyk said. "It's a different look up the ice."

There will also be a premium on Kane to keep his head up as he moves into the offensive zone and to the middle. That move can open a player up to a blindside hit. Kane's not worried. He's looking forward to playing with Hossa for one of the few times since Hossa joined the team. They don't even play on the same power-play unit.

"I know that [Hossa] likes to play the right wing, so I'll let him have it, and I'll play the left and hopefully we can do some damage."

Or else it's back to the drawing board once again for Quenneville and his line maneuverings.

Morin Sent Down
Joel Quenneville was asked if economics was the reason forward Jeremy Morin was sent to the minors on Monday.
"Economics are always part of it, and hockey at the same time. But it's a long year, and we want him to play some hockey and we'll see how that all works itself out," Quenneville said.
There was no word on whether Morin would be recalled now that Bolland is out for Wednesday's game.

The Quote
"I thought we had our best practice of the year today, and it's something to get excited about."- Joel Quenneville, after the Hawks' hour-long skate on Tuesday.

The Quote, Part II
"We'll be ticked off and angry about what we've done in our own building but not discouraged by it. We'll keep going forward." --- Jonathan Toews, on the Hawks' 4-6 home record.
Click to expand...

I trust what Coach Q does. He makes a lot of moves and messes with the lines a lot. I am hoping that Kane and Hoss can kick ass together.

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Kane to play Left Wing.

DP He shoots, he scores!

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Kane to play Left Wing.

DP He shoots, he scores!

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