Loss to Flames all but KO's Hawks' slim playoff hopes

It was fun while it lasted.

While the math says the Blackhawks still have a chance to make the playoffs, the reality is this: Sunday afternoon's 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames at the United Center probably was the dagger in the heart.

"We've got to win seven, possibly eight," Hawks coach Denis Savard said.

With only nine games to play, the Hawks more likely would need to win all nine as they remain 7 points out of the picture.

So how big a mountain is it to climb?

"It's pretty big," Patrick Kane admitted. "Coming into tonight's game we were going to try to win every game anyway, so we might as well do that here on out and see what comes of it."

The Hawks have come too far this season not to try to finish as strong as they can, which is the plan starting with Wednesday's game against Washington.

"Who knows what can happen still, that's the attitude we have to have," Adam Burish said. "It's not done yet. We've got nine games left and we've got to continue to play hard. Let's keep our heads up, play as hard as we can for the last nine games and see what happens."

If the Hawks do fall short of the playoffs for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons, they will have nobody to blame but themselves. Sunday's loss was their fourth straight at home, where they are a way-too-average 18-16-2.

Back in training camp, Savard set a target of 28 home wins, but his team is going to come nowhere near reaching it.

"To make a good push for the playoffs you have to gather your points at home. That's important," Burish said.

The Hawks hardly had the look of a desperate team early. They played a miserable first seven minutes with only Burish showing he came to play when he knocked Eric Nystrom to the ice with a thundering right hand during a fight at 3:10.

Even the coaches were asleep six minutes in when the Flames had six skaters on the ice for a good 20 seconds. The referees missed it and there wasn't a peep from the Hawks' bench.

The Hawks didn't register their first shot on goal until 10:25 of the first period when Jonathan Toews beat goalie Miikka Kiprusoff on a power play to make it 1-1.

A great shift by fourth-liners Burish, Greg Adams and Kevyn Adams late in the first period created some momentum, but the Hawks came out asleep again to start the second.

A horrible giveaway by Brent Seabrook let Jarome Iginla beat goalie Patrick Lalime on a breakaway at 1:13.

Then a sloppy shift by Dave Bolland, Patrick Sharp and Kane allowed Kristian Huselius to walk in at 4:54 and beat Lalime.

The Flames put the game out of reach at 13:47 of the second period when Dion Phaneuf scored to cap a play that started when Seabrook fell.

Savard benched Seabrook for the entire third period.

"He had a tough game," Savard said.

So did Lalime, pressed into the start when rookie Corey Crawford became ill. Lalime was pulled to start the third period to give Nikolai Khabibulin some work in his first appearance since Feb. 20.