The Chicago Blackhawks have discussed Patrick Kane's partying this off-season and GM Stan Bowman said the club was "disappointed" with the situation. "We discussed it with Patrick. We've handled that internally," said Bowman. "We're obviously disappointed with how it played out and Patrick is aware of that fact. At this point, it's a private matter. Out of respect for Patrick, we're not going to comment further. We're going to look forward." The 23-year-old forward attended the annual Mifflin Street Block Party at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was photographed in some drunken activities. Thankfully, nothing he did warranted trouble from the police.

Patrick Kane's actions in Madison, Wis. did not warrant any police action. Kane's behavior earlier this month has resulted in silence from the Blackhawks' camp, but team officials could be a little peeved over how their star center's name keeps popping up for some off-ice issue or another.

Patrick Kane won't represent Team USA at the upcoming World Championship tournament. "I'm healthy right now," said Kane, who required wrist surgery last summer. "I'm excited about that. I don't really want to risk that, especially into next season. I saw the difference it could make, being healthy or not being healthy [in the summer]." He will enjoy a restful off-season this time around and try to rebound from what was a disappointing 2011-12 campaign for him offensively.

Patrick Kane might start the 2012-13 campaign as the team's second line center. Kane served as a center for a fair amount of 2011-12 and it looks like Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman doesn't have an issue with keeping him there. Kane had 23 goals and a career-low 66 points in 82 games this season.

Patrick Kane had no goals and four assists in Chicago's first-round playoff exit against Phoenix. He was credited with 16 shots in the series, but could not get one by Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith. Kane has registered one goal in his last 13 playoff games since he scored the Stanley Cup winning tally in 2010. He also produced 23 markers during the regular season, which represented his lowest total since his rookie year, and finished with a career-low of 66 points in 82 matches. He'll look to get back on track next season.

When the Hawks look back at their season, a big reason why they couldn't advance past the first round was their inability to win on home ice. Granted, they only won two games in the first-round series, but both came on the road. They lost two games in overtime at home, then saw their season come to an end with a 4-0 setback Monday. "It's brutal," coach Joel Quenneville said. "The first two were equally stinging. And then (Monday night) not having a goal but you did everything you want basically for 40 minutes. It's a special place to play, and you're disappointed you have nothing to show for it."

Patrick Kane thinks that patience on the ice will help Chicago dig itself out of its current hole. Phoenix has a 3-2 series lead over Chicago in their first round series and Game 6 is scheduled for Monday. Kane has four assists, but no goals in the series. "It seems like every time you get the puck, they're trying to converge on you, make you make tougher plays," Kane said. "For us, we just have to play patient, try not to worry about scoring and just play the right way." We'll see if that's what it takes to win their next two games.

A report indicates that fan interest in the Chicago Blackhawks has increased five-fold in the last five yars, and no United States sports franchise has experienced a faster growth. The Scarborough Research data also shows that the Hawks have now become even in terms of interest with all Chicago's local teams, except the Bears. "It is an extraordinary achievement to have the Blackhawks go from a moribund franchise to in many ways the hottest in Chicago," said Chicago-based sports business consultant Marc Ganis of Sportscorp.

Coach Joel Quenneville switched lines early in Game 2 and Patrick Kane found himself at center once again. Kane centered Marian Hossa and Andrew Brunette while Jonathan Toews was between Patrick Sharp and Viktor Stalberg. Marcus Kruger was the odd man out as he moved to the fourth line after centering the second unit at the start of the game. The moves paid off as the Blackhawks won 4-3 in overtime after being down 2-1 when the move was made. Look for Quenneville to keep the same lines for Game 3 in Chicago.

The Chicago Blackhawks aren't too worried after losing Game 1 of their series against the Phoenix Coyotes. "No one really expected us to sweep the series," Patrick Kane said. "It's one game, no need to panic. I know it's the first game and it's a big one, but we can even the series right up and get back to where we want to be." Chicago went down 3-0 in their 2011 first round series to Vancouver. They managed to win the next three games to tie the series before ultimately falling in Game 7. Still, they know firsthand that a series is never over until it's over.