Stunned Flames get wake-up call

A pair of victories on home ice had the Calgary Flames feeling pretty good about themselves heading into Game 5 against the Blackhawks at the United Center on Saturday.

"Yeah, I would think so," Flames defenseman Adrian Aucoin said of the momentum switching to the team from north of the border after it tied the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

"We know the way the momentum has swung either way in this series and that we can't give it up."

Oops.

Three goals in under two minutes midway through the first period Saturday changed everything.

Now it's the Blackhawks who are flying high after their 5-1 victory and subsequent 3-2 series lead, while the Flames head back to Calgary wondering what the heck just happened.

"It was no secret that we were feeling good and we just let up a little at the beginning of the game and you can't do that, especially on the road," said Flames captain Jarome Iginla, who was an uncharacteristic minus-3 for the game.

"It was pretty much every single one of us, but we'll bounce back. It was a great eye opener."

Calgary coach Mike Keenan was hoping his team would have been more wide awake early on Saturday, but when the Flames came out in borderline zombie mode, the former Hawks coach stepped up and shouldered the blame.

"The way we came out in the first period, the criticism has to fall on myself," Keenan said. "The bottom line is that it's the coach's responsibility. We just weren't prepared.

"(The Hawks) seized the moment, seized the opportunity to grab the game."

The poor start threw off the Calgary players who have been used to coming out razor sharp in each of the previous four games of the series.

"We didn't do what we're supposed to. It's something we haven't had happen - a poor start in this series - that was the first one and we have to make sure it's the last," said defenseman Cory Sarich, whose cross-check on Dave Bolland led to the Hawks' first power play goal and started nthe ball rolling. "We just go back re-focus and concentrate more.

"It can't happen again."