Five takeaways from Blackhawks' 4-3 overtime loss to Flames: This one stings

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Here are five takeaways from the Blackhawks' 4-3 overtime loss to Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday night:

1. Another blown lead. 

For the second straight game, the Blackhawks scored the first goal and came up on the losing end. But this one stung way worse than the 4-2 loss to Vancouver on Thursday.

This is a game the Blackhawks really needed to pick up two points in, and preferably in regulation to prevent a Flames team also battling for a wild card spot from moving on up in the standings.

Not only did the Blackhawks fail to secure their two-goal lead in regulation, but they regained the lead to go up 3-2 after the Flames responded with two in a row of their own yet allowed them to still force overtime, where Sean Monahan scored his NHL-leading eighth game-winning goal of the season to pick up the second point.

It was essentially a four-point swing in the blink of an eye, and a game that might be circled on the calendar as one of a handful that got away if the Blackhawks are on the outside of the playoff picture by the end of the season.

2. Lacking the finish.

The Blackhawks took a 3-2 lead into the third period, but took their foot off the gas after recording only three shots on goal in the final frame. That's simply not enough against any team let alone the Flames, who are the fourth-best puck possession team in the league — right below Chicago.

They will eventually make you pay, and they did when former Blackhawks forward Michael Frolik netted his eighth goal of the season at the 9:50 mark of the third period to even it up at 3-3.

3. Missed calls go against Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks had every chance to put the Flames away after going up 2-0 in the second period and then 3-2 in the third, but there were two missed calls in the first that went against them and should at least be mentioned.

The first was a scramble in Mike Smith's crease that showed a Flames player putting his hand over the puck, which by rule should have resulted in a penalty shot for the Blackhawks.

And the second came in the final moments of the period when Nick Schmaltz was clearly tripped while driving hard to the net but went uncalled. The official was right there and perhaps felt like the Flames defender got the puck first but replays confirmed he didn't.

It's no excuse, but who knows what would've happened if the Blackhawks converted on the penalty shot and then got a late power play to carry over into the second period. After all, they did capitalize on their only power play of the night.

4. Nick Schmaltz is turning into a star.

We're reaching the territory where Schmaltz is becoming more of a core player rather than being associated with the young guns.

There's still certainly room for growth, especially in the faceoff department, but since Dec. 10 he's averaging nearly a point per game. He has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 23 games over that span, and has registered at least a point in 10 of his last 14 games. 

He finished the game with a goal, four shot attempts (one on goal) and two takeaways, with his goal being an absolute missile of a one-timer from Patrick Kane, who had two assists and is one shy of 500 of his NHL career.

5. Jeff Glass unlucky again in hometown.

Joel Quenneville awarded the 32-year-old rookie another start in his hometown of Calgary, and it ended up the same way as it did the first time. Literally.

On Dec. 31, Glass made 35 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Flames and that's exactly what happened the second time around: 35 saves and a 4-3 overtime loss. He again did his part to give the Blackhawks a chance to win but they fell one goal short.

He also submitted an entry for Save of the Year after robbing Monahan of a goal with an acrobatic lunge.

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