The Patrick Kane era with the Detroit Red Wings hit a tense moment this past weekend. Trailing 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild, the Red Wings staged a furious comeback, with Kane tying the game at 4-4 for his 15th goal and 52nd point of the season. But with 3:37 left, Kane took a needless tripping penalty on Quinn Hughes, away from the play.
Minnesota capitalized, as Kirill Kaprizov scored the game-winner with 1:51 remaining, handing Detroit a 5-4 loss.
The loss was bad enough. However, that loss could also mean the Red Wings don’t make the 2026 NHL playoffs. They are sitting two points outside a playoff wild card spot with 88 points (ironically, his jersey number) and, with just five games remaining, every point counts.
Kane knows it was a bad look. It’s one of those penalties you just can’t take and if it costs his team the playoffs, he’ll have to eat that forever.