CHICAGO – If Patrick Kane maintains his early season scoring pace, the Blackhawks winger will set a career high in goals even though the regular season is 48 games instead of 82.

Three days after Kane scored the Hawks’ first goal of the season on the road in Los Angeles, he scored the first goal in the home opener against the St. Louis Blues. Kane’s goal helped the Hawks beat the Blues, 3-2, to improve to 3-0-0 to start the shortened season.

Part of the reason for Kane’s fast start could be his recent stint with a professional team in Switzerland. Unlike many top players who trained at home during the 113-day NHL lockout, Kane signed with the Swiss team EHC Biel and scored 13 goals in 20 games overseas.