Blackhawks Penalty Kill Fails Again In Seven-Round, 3-2 Shootout Loss To Flames

The Chicago Blackhawks’ incredibly lackluster penalty kill was evident again on Monday night, as the team allowed their 13th and 14th power-play goals in just 26 chances in a 3-2 home shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.

Blackhawks Penalty Kill Fails Again In Seven-Round, 3-2 Shootout Loss To Flames

Kris Versteeg scored in the seventh round and goalie Brian Elliott didn’t allow a shootout goal to help Calgary (2-4-1) avoid a three-game losing streak.

Versteeg, a former Blackhawks forward, deked Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford to the ice and slipped the puck past his left pad after a combined 13 missed shots.

“Anytime you know a guy’s tendencies, it just helps you,” said Elliott, who made 31 saves after entering the game with a 4.72 goals-against average. “But they know ours just as much as we know theirs. It’s kind of a battle between that and [Versteeg] coming up big.”

Elliott’s greatest save came at the end of regulation. He denied Chicago forward Richard Panik with a sprawling skate save to force overtime. Elliott– who led the St. Louis Blues to defeat the Blackhawks last season in the Stanley Cup Playoffs– also helped the flames kill a penalty in overtime, finishing with six saves.

Patrick Kane and Brian Campbell scored for the Blackhawks (3-3-1). Crawford had a fantastic night, finishing with 29 saves.

The penalty kill wasn’t Chicago’s only problem, nevertheless. The Blackhawks lost promising young defenseman Gustav Forsling to an upper-body injury after he was struck in the second period. Coach Joel Quenneville said Forsling is day to day. The Blackhawks had the NHL’s worst penalty kill by far (30th), although the Flames entered with the league’s worst power play at 1-for-25.

Calgary improved that percentage early in Monday’s game, when Sam Bennett got good position in close on Crawford and chipped in a rebound off a shot from Dougie Hamilton to give the Flames a 1-0 lead at 4:51 of the first period.

After Kane tied it at 1:32 of the second period with a one-timer, Sean Monahan gave Calgary a 2-1 lead at 6:52 on another power play.

The Flames got three more power plays in the second but were unable to capitalize, not even on a four-minute man-advantage with 5:14 left after Tyler Motte was called for a high-sticking double minor.

“It just seems no matter what, it finds a way, a different way, every time,” Quenneville said. “We had a couple big kills in the second period, and that was positive. We built off it, had a good third period and found a way to get a point. Could’ve had two.”

Campbell tied it 2-2 at 4:12 of the third with his first goal of the season. Campbell’s shot deflected in off Flames defenseman T.J. Brodie.

“We just didn’t do a job again early in the game,” Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. “A couple pucks, it just seems to find its way to the back of the net if we just make one little mistake.”

The Blackhawks will next visit the New Jersey Devils on Friday, while the Flames will visit the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 24: Jyrki Jokipakka #3 of the Calgary Flames knocks the puck away from Jonathan Toews #19 of the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on October 24, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Flames defeated the Blachawks 3-2 in a shootout. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)