Blackhawks: Breaking down Patrick Kane's postseason success

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Patrick Kane was playing his way into the MVP conversation before his regular season was cut short due to a broken collarbone, but he's somehow taken his game to an even higher level in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After finishing the 2014-15 campaign with 64 points in 61 games, the Blackhawks forward has erupted for a team-leading 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 10 postseason games, which currently ranks second — Anaheim's Corey Perry has 14 points in seven games — among playoff leaders.

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Kane has been held off the stat sheet just once since returning to the lineup, carrying a five-game goal streak and seven-game point streak into the Western Conference Final.

But his recent playoff success extends beyond this year.

In his last 14 playoff games dating back to 2013-14, Kane has compiled nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points, an average of 1.64 points per game. 

To put that into perspective: Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby led the NHL in points per game this year with 1.09.

In those 14 games, Kane has registered at least a point in all but one, and finished with multi-point games in half of them. The Blackhawks are 10-4 in that span, with Kane having scored the game-winner in three of those victories, two of which came in Games 2 and 3 against the Minnesota Wild.

[NBC SHOP: Get a Patrick Kane jersey here]

The numbers speak for themselves, but what's more impressive than anything: Kane hasn't skipped a beat, performing at an astonishing pace after coming back five weeks early from a collarbone injury that initially projected him to be sidelined until late May.

Not only do the Blackhawks have a healthy Kane heading into the Conference Final, but they also have one who, as coach Joel Quenneville put it, has "a hot stick."

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