Chicago Blackhawks: Plenty of Shame to Go Around After Pathetic Loss to Edmonton

The Chicago Blackhawks made a lot of noise preceding their game in Edmonton Thursday night concerning the shellacking they took back in November.

The 'Hawks vowed not to allow nine Oiler goals again in the Rexall Place.

Mission accomplished. Edmonton could only muster eight goals.

One minute Chicago was up 2-0 and looking like a good bet to even up their road trip. Two periods later, the 'Hawks are in full-on soul-searching mode after an embarrassing 8-4 defeat.

It might sound a bit melodramatic to call Friday's game in Calgary a must-win, but something has to be done to get the taste of a total collapse out of the mouths of the 'Hawks. Any warm feelings of Tuesday's effort in Vancouver was curb-stomped away via the stick of Sam Gagner.

Gagner's four-by-four evening, featuring four goals and four assists on the hapless 'Hawks, gave the Oilers their third victory of the season over Chicago. Edmonton had won just three of their last 10 games heading into the contest, but that doesn't seem to matter when the Blackhawks come to town.

Chicago would pot the game's first two goals. They got a pair of goals from Patrick Sharp and scored a short-handed tally on a key penalty kill late in the second. Jamal Mayers opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season.

Sounds like this goes into the books as a confidence-building win, doesn't it? Instead, we were treated to the following stomach-turners:

• Corey Crawford was as awful as he has been this season. He was victimized for five goals, book-ended by two inexcusable softies. Ray Emery came in and was torched for three goals in 16 minutes.
• Nick Leddy was a minus-three on the night.
• The 'Hawks committed seven penalties, including a pair from the otherwise invisible Bryan Bickell.
• Chicago was out scored 5-1 after going to the second intermission with some momentum in a still-winnable 3-3 contest.
• Andrew Brunette leaving the game with an upper body injury after barely playing two minutes.
• John Scott not being worthy of a regular shift, but being pressed into duty on the penalty kill.

"We should be disappointed," said coach Joel Quenneville after the game. "We should be embarrassed."

I'd have thought the memories of the 9-2 defeat would have prevented such a debacle. Apparently not.

Now it's on to Calgary. Chicago's fortitude, or lack thereof, will be on full display.

We can talk until we're blue in the face about upgrading at defense. Right now, it's the current crew that must respond on the ice Friday against the Flames.