Crucial setback for Hawks in loss to Flames

The Blackhawks considered Monday night's game against Calgary to be a very important one.

Unfortunately, they didn't bring the necessary urgency.

The Hawks went into the game in 11th place in the West with time beginning to run out but couldn't do anything to improve their weakening position by losing to the Flames 3-1 at the Saddledome.

A wrist shot by Curtis Glencross over goalie Corey Crawford snapped a 1-1 tie with 11:23 to play. Rene Bourque added an empty-net, power-play goal in the last minute.

The Hawks have lost two straight and four of their last five games.

“Everybody knows the situation we're in,” Quenneville told reporters. “You look at the standings and everybody is fighting for the same air space.

“It's an amazing race right now and I don't foresee it changing. A week ago we were in a pretty good spot and all of a sudden we're not where we want to be, so let's do something about it.”

The Hawks had little life offensively against the Flames, 7-0-1 in their last eight games.

“We didn't generate anything,” Quenneville said. “Going to the net and creating traffic, it was nowhere near getting it done.”

Quenneville returned to Crawford after giving Marty Turco two starts coming off the all-star break, and the rookie goalie was the reason the Hawks were tied at 1-1 going to the third period.

The Hawks were outshot 10-3 in a sluggish first period and fell behind 1-0 on Mikael Backlund's goal at 14:33.

Backlund got behind the defense and beat Crawford in alone on a backhander.

The Hawks went nearly 12 minutes without a shot during the middle of the period.

It was a much better second period for the Hawks, who got the tying goal from Patrick Kane at 5:56. Kane was in the slot when he took a pass from Jonathan Toews and fired the puck over goalie Miikka Kiprusoff.

The Hawks failed on two power plays after Kane's goal and carried a third power play into the third period, which also fizzled. They were 0-for-4 on the night.

“We didn't generate a whole lot on the power play and lost some momentum,” Quenneville said.

The Hawks were 0-for-5 on the power play in Friday's loss at Vancouver.

“We need our power play to be effective,” Quenneville said.

The Flames have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL since Christmas after spending a total 37 days in 14th place.

“Give them credit,” Quenneville said. “They've got a roll going and if you put one of these together you put yourself in a good spot. It's what we'd like to do.”

Tim Sassone's game tracker

Flames 3, Blackhawks 1

<B>Three stars</B>

1. Curtis Glencross, Flames: Scored the winning goal with 11:23 to play.

2. Robin Regehr, Flames: Led a Flames defense that gave the Hawks nothing.

3. Corey Crawford, Hawks: Did his part to keep his sluggish teammates in the game.

<B>Paging Stan Bowman</B>

The NHL trade deadline is three weeks from Monday, but can the Hawks' general manager wait that long to help his struggling team? Bowman has little money to spend, but there is a dire need for another defenseman and a veteran forward.

<B>The stat</B>

The Hawks now have gone to the third period either ahead or tied 20 times and come away with just 4 points. That's not a playoff team.