Kane skates alongside Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov on what Coach Joel Quenneville has designated the second line, though it is often the first to take the ice. In a dressing room fueled by a friendly one-upmanship, the Kane-Panarin-Anisimov combination has, at times, been overshadowed by a top line of Schmaltz, Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik.

Kane points to the Schmaltz line as being equally responsible for the Blackhawks’ recent surge up the standings as any of his contributions. Kane routinely draws as much inspiration from others as they do from him.

“When you see other guys score, there’s definitely some internal competition,” Kane said. “If you see someone else have a big night, have a big game or score early on in a game, you want to do something yourself.”

As has been the case in each of their three Stanley Cup titles since 2010, balance and depth factor heavily in the Blackhawks’ success. But perhaps more than in the past, when Kane’s production has correlated to deep playoff runs, Chicago’s offense from night to night has extended beyond the usual suspects. Seven scorers have at least 15 goals, paced by Kane’s 29.

“That’s always been one of our strengths is having two lines where your opponents are not quite sure which line they want to check or which is the most dangerous,” Quenneville said. “That depth is very important. There’s always going to be something concerning for your opponents when you have a one-two tandem.”

But in the Blackhawks’ recipe for success this season, the one-two punch is more of the 1A and 1B variety. While Kane remains a key contributor as Chicago’s top offensive point producer in his 10th N.H.L. season, the way he goes about his business continues to evolve.