This 3-2 Blackhawks shootout loss was unexplainable

According to the lunar calendar, it was absolutely not a full moon Saturday night.

Could've fooled the Blackhawks, who had to be wondering just what was to blame for all the zaniness on the ice in a 3-2 shootout loss to the host Blue Jackets.

How else could you explain outshooting Columbus 15-3 in the first period only to be trailing 1-0 courtesy of a re-direction by none other than former Hawk Jack Skille?

Or how about the Hawks breaking into the Blue Jackets zone on a 4-on-1 early in the second only to see it all go poof when Marian Hossa's stick broke as he shot the puck?

Or how about Patrick Sharp scoring an even-strength goal for the first time since last April?

Or Jonathan Toews dropping the gloves. That's right, dropping the gloves.

Or Marcus Kruger going skate-first into the Columbus net like a runner sliding into second base, setting off an extended review that ultimately resulted in Ben Smith scoring the game-tying goal?

Or that Columbus took the game beyond regulation for the sixth straight game despite being outshot 41-19 and were still were able to snap a 13-game losing streak to the Hawks?

Some things are just unexplainable.

"We did everything but win that game," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "We played well in all areas of our game - did a lot of good things."

But the one thing they couldn't do was solve Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (39 saves), who single-handedly kept his team in the game.

It was a very similar performance to Jonas Hiller's 49-save performance in Calgary's 2-1 victory over the Hawks back in October.

"This might have been worse for me," Quenneville admitted.

Corey Crawford returned to the net after missing the last eight games with an injury and went toe-to-toe with Bobrovsky in the shootout before Jack Johnson scored the shootout winner in the ninth round.

"I felt pretty comfortable," Crawford said. "I didn't get much work in the first part of the game - maybe that was a good thing because I was able to get in the groove of things."

His coach was happy with the effort.

"He was fine," Quenneville said. "He did really well in the shootout ... we should have won it for him."

Instead, the Hawks dropped their first shootout decision of the year, though they're not hanging their heads over this one.

"As a team I thought we outplayed them," Crawford said. "We had some great chances.

"Their guy played well, but we definitely played a good game."

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