Kane finds home - and success - on Sharks' third line

LOS ANGELES -- The arrival of Erik Karlsson and the return of Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks pushed Evander Kane under the radar in training camp and through the preseason schedule.

He's soaring now.
Kane, the 27-year-old left wing who signed a seven-year contract May 24, has been the Sharks' best forward in their first two games with two goals on 10 shots, including one on five in their 3-2 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on Friday.
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The reason for Kane's early-season success is without question related where he's playing in the lineup, and why.
Kane is playing on what would be considered the Sharks' third line with rookie center Antti Suomela and right wing Joonas Donskoi. It's working because Suomela and Donskoi have been getting Kane the puck.
"We just had that instant chemistry," Kane said. "Both those guys are really good at getting me the puck and it kind of just took off. It's funny, sometimes when you know, you know. I got excited about it after one period I played with them. I thought, 'There can be something here.'"
The assumption going into camp is Kane would feel that way about playing on the top line with Thornton and Joe Pavelski. That didn't work.
"I think we were dash three our first game and started off the second game dash two," Kane said.

Sharks coach Peter DeBoer moved Kane off that line because he thought he was too passive when playing with Thornton and Pavelski. He said it looked like Kane "was trying to fit in and please a little bit, and he's just got to go do his thing and shoot.
"That's what he's doing."
The byproduct has been the mismatches Kane's assignment on the third line have already created. DeBoer said he could see it Friday, when the Kings were trying to figure out what matchups they wanted but struggled with it because of the depth of San Jose's forward group.
The first line features Thornton with Timo Meier and Pavelski. Meier gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 9:42 of the first period by scoring on a deflection of defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic's shot that was set up by Thornton.
Los Angeles had its fourth line of Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis and Nate Thompson on the ice. Not ideal.
Kane extended the Sharks' lead to 2-0 at 13:48, when he beat Kings goalie Jonathan Quick from the right circle. Donskoi and Suomela had the assists. The Kings had two players from their second line, Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli, on the ice with Thompson.

San Jose also has Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl and Kevin Labanc on its second line. Labanc scored the overtime winner off a feed from Couture. Hertl scored a highlight-reel goal in the Sharks' 5-2 loss against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
"Everyone talks [about] that third line, that's where the mismatch comes on any given night," Pavelski said. "For us to have three solid lines, strong lines, you get that mismatch at times and I think it showed tonight a little bit."
Pavelski recalled the 2011-12 season when he played at times on the third line. He scored 31 goals that season. San Jose also had Thornton, Couture, Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe in its top six forward group.
"You get some nights when you feel like you have the puck all the time," Pavelski said.
Kane could be starting down a similar path as a 30-goal third-liner. He's already on pace for 82.
The Sharks are better for it.
"It makes teams make choices," Kane said. "Who do you want to play against? Which line? You have to have four lines that can contribute, three lines that have to have some offensive punch to them. We have that here."