d to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Sim

BOSTON -- When Patrick Kane scored twice to help the Chicago Blackhawks move within one victory of another Stanley Cup, he did so on the sixth anniversary of being drafted first overall. Players dont get selected there without skill, but the bulk of Kanes nine goals in the playoffs have been more a result of hard work and smart positioning by a player whose game has developed substantially in recent years. "Hes really good, especially around the net," Boston Bruins right-winger Brad Marchand said. "If you give him any kind of room down there and he can find the puck, then hes going to make something happen." Kane showed three years ago during the Blackhawks Cup run that he has a knack for making things happen and scoring big goals. But this time around it has been his ability to put back rebounds and loose pucks that earned him some late buzz for the Conn Smythe Trophy. Six of Kanes nine goals through 22 games have come on the doorstep -- either in the crease or just outside it. As his coach with the London Knights, Dale Hunter, watched his Game 5 performance, he remarked that Kane was having success because he was playing in traffic close to the net. "He has no fear to his game. Hes not the biggest guy in the world but hell score goals and hell go anywhere to score them," Hunter said in a phone interview Monday. "He has good vision. Thats why he can go in them bad areas where you can take big hits, and he doesnt get hit often." Its one thing to have good vision and yet another to make a concerted effort to be around the crease. "I think one of the things on this team, you want to crash the net, whether its bringing it back out and getting pucks there and then crashing it again," Kane said. The 24-year-old brings a combination of skill and that willingness to play in tight spaces that makes him difficult to defend. "I think hes not afraid, whether its not afraid to get hit or not afraid to make mistakes," Boston defenceman Torrey Krug said. "Hes not afraid to go to those high-traffic areas. Thats important for a player, especially players that like to play with the puck, to not have the fear like that." Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville knows all about Kanes "high-end skill," but its his ability to control the play with little room to manoeuvre that helps him stand out. "Hes just an unbelievable puck-handler, and I dont know if thats just natural talent or hes worked on it," Chicago defenceman Duncan Keith said. Either way, it has caused fits for the Bruins. Coach Claude Julien and his team had to emphasize better awareness because of Kane. "You look at the goals that Kane has scored, youve got to give him credit," Julien said. "Hes done a good job of getting into those quiet areas and sliding into those pockets and the puck keeps coming to him, and thats what good players do. They find areas to go to where pucks come to them." Of course Kane can still pick a corner and score. His goal on a two-on-one rush put the Blackhawks into the Cup final, and he scored one-on-one against Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard earlier in the playoffs. Against the Bruins, Kane showed teammates that hes adept at scoring the so-called dirty goals, too. Julien likened him to Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby as far as being shifty and elusive around the net. "Hes an elite player," Bruins defenceman Andrew Ference said. "Hes obviously got tremendous skill and speed to get away from defenders and to find open spots on the ice. Hes a challenge for any team to defend against." Even more so now than several years ago when he was a budding NHL star. Bostons Aaron Johnson played with Kane in 2008-09, and though he hasnt had a chance to study the right-wingers improvement, he pointed out that Kane has become a "solid hockey player." Thats not under-valuing Kane but rather an indication that, like other talented forwards, his career is an ongoing maturation process. "I think it takes time because their whole life they havent really needed to play that game," Johnson said. "And once you get to the NHL you have to learn that theres a time and place for certain moves and certain plays. It does take a year or two and a good coach to really embed that inside him." It didnt start with Hunter, Denis Savard or Quenneville. Hunter knew Kane could score before the Knights drafted him. But the way hes been putting the puck in the net in the playoffs has Kane on another level. "Every time theres more on the line, the more he comes up and goes in the dirty areas even more than he should because he wants to score the big goals," Hunter said. "He wants to make the difference in the game, and he has the ability to do it and he pushes himself in big games to do it." James Patrick Jersey . The nimble-footed quarterback got his wish, dashing through the snow and a weary defence all the way into the NCAA record book. Martin St. Louis Jersey .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. http://www.rangershockeyonlineshop.com/vladislav-namestnikov-hockey-jersey/ . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Brendan Smith Jersey . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Adam Graves Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. ST. LOUIS -- Alex Thompson made all three of his 3-pointers and scored 17 points, Wyatt Walker had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Samford beat Saint Louis 68-64 on Tuesday night.Thompson scored 13 of his points in the first half to help Samford build a 39-28 lead and Walker had his seventh straight double-double of the season.Samford had a 59-53 lead with 3:12 remaining but Saint Louis pulled to 63-60 at the 1:28 mark. Demetrius Denzel-Dyson answered with a layup and Walker hit 1 of 2 free throws on Samfords next possession for a ssix-point lead with 32 seconds left.ddddddddddddDenzel-Dyson finished with 10 points and seven rebounds for Samford (4-3), which rebounded from a 106-103 double-overtime home loss to Nicholls State on Sunday.Mike Crawford had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists for Saint Louis (2-4), while Jermaine Bishop added 15 points. Reggie Agbeko grabbed 11 rebounds as the Billikens controlled the glass 43-34. ' ' '