Four takeaways: Johnny Gaudreau stays hot as Blackhawks fall to Flames

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Here are four takeaways from the Blackhawks' 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames at the United Center on Monday:

1. Johnny Gaudreau and Pacific Division struggles

Going into the game, the Blackhawks knew they had to be aware at all times of where and when Gaudreau was on the ice. Yet they gave him too much time, and he made them pay.

The NHL's first star of the week scored twice, and both goals came off questionable line changes for the Blackhawks which allowed Gaudreau to have all the time and space in the world. Gaudreau has scored a goal in five straight games, and now ranks third in the league with 64 points.

With the loss, the Blackhawks fell to 1-10-2 against Pacific Division opponents this season and lost all three games against the Flames in regulation.

"Sometimes you can, but I don’t think tonight’s one of those," coach Jeremy Colliton on whether he can take a moral victory out of going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the Western Conference. "We played really good for one period. I think [if] we play close to three periods like we did the second, we win the game, and we didn’t do it."

2. Patrick Kane's highlight reel goal

Chicago has seen Kane do some pretty amazing things with the puck since he joined the NHL in 2007-08. Every night he's seemingly adding to his highlight reel, whether it's a pretty pass, a dangle, a goal, whatever.

He did it again on Monday, as Kane showed why he has one of the best backhander's in the league by scoring a ridiculous goal from a tough angle that not many guys would even think to try.

"That backhand shot has been a shot that I've been doing my whole life, since I was 7 years old," Kane said. "It's always been something I've worked on."

And to make the moment even more memorable, Kane celebrated by looking at his parents and girlfriend in the crowd sitting a few rows up from where the goal was scored.

"It was just a coincidence that I was skating right by them there," Kane said. "I know where they're sitting. My dad comes to every game, he has so far this year anyways, so it's fun to see him get excited and that was kind of a moment where it was cool to celebrate with him there."

3. Alex DeBrincat hits 20-goal mark

DeBrincat has been a streaky goal scorer this season. He had eight goals in October, two in November and then eight again in December.

Four games into January, DeBrincat has scored in back-to-back games and hit the 20-goal plateau for the second straight season to start his NHL career. He's the 14th player in Blackhawks history to score at least 20 goals in his first two seasons, and first since Artemi Panarin, according to NBC Sports Chicago's stats guru Christopher Kamka.

DeBrincat led the Blackhawks with 28 goals in 82 games last season; he has 20 goals through 45 games this season, and is on pace for 36.

4. Collin Delia turns in another strong performance

For the third time in five starts this season, Delia has faced at least 40 shots in a game. In the first, he stopped 46 of 48 in a 5-2 win over Minnesota. In the second, he stopped 47 of 50 in a 3-2 overtime loss to the N.Y. Islanders.

And on Monday, he stopped 39 of 42 shots for a save percentage of .929 and suffered his first regulation loss of the season when he certainly deserved better.

"I just want to continue to play," Delia said. "That's really what's important, continue to see as many situations as possible, practice hard, continue to elevate my game to this level so it's at a point where we can win those 2-1 games. Sometimes that responsibility falls back on the goalies. Got to make a couple big saves."

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