Patrick Kane had three goals and an assist in his return to the lineup, and the Blackhawks beat the Ottawa Senators 5-1 on Monday night for their first win of the season.
Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 29 saves in another solid performance, felt Kane was a bit off in his assessment.
Led by Kane, Fleury and Brandon Hagel, who scored twice, Chicago improved to 1-7-2 in front of a half-full United Center. Captain Jonathan Toews had three assists.
Kane was sidelined for the previous four games because of the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. He practiced Monday morning, and then convinced coach Jeremy Colliton he was ready to go.
Matt Murray made 26 stops for Ottawa in his first game since he was kneed in the head during a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Oct. 23. Alex Formenton stopped Fleury's bid for his 68th career shutout with his second of the season 1:41 into the third.
Kane's seventh hat trick in the regular season gave him 408 career goals, moving him ahead of Steve Larmer for third on the franchise list. He also jumped over Denis Savard for third on the Blackhawks' points list with 1,097.
The Blackhawks host the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.
