EDMONTON, Alberta — With the Blackhawks down 3-0 after two periods yet again on Monday night, you couldn’t help but wonder if another miracle comeback was in the offing. After all, it was just two nights earlier that they turned the same sullen situation into a stirring victory in Vancouver.
But there’s a reason that they hadn’t done that in 21 years. Even for the irrepressible Blackhawks, three-goal third-period deficits aren’t exactly ideal.
“We would rather be ahead, for sure,” Joel Quenneville said.
Instead, the Hawks got down early and stayed down Monday night in a 5-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at the new Rogers Place. The Hawks were much better for the first 40 minutes than they were in Vancouver (Cam Talbot was terrific in goal for the Oilers, making 31 saves). But they didn’t have any of the third-period magic they had against the Canucks, mustering just three shots on goal in the final 20 minutes.
They’re 2-2 on the circus trip now, and they’ve fallen behind in all four games.
“You’re down 4-0 in Winnipeg, you’re down 3-0 in Vancouver, and then 5-0 here,” Patrick Kane said. “I know we came back in Vancouver, but it’s not the recipe for success, especially on the road. I know we keep harping on it, and keep talking about it, but we want to make sure we try and get the lead, play with the lead, and that should suit us better, especially on the road.”
In his first game against the Hawks, Connor McDavid lived up to the hype, setting up the first two Oilers goals with his dazzling speed and stickhandling. His rush set up Oscar Klefbom’s goal from the top of the left circle at 2:39, and he set up Klefbom’s shot from the point in the final minute of the period that was tripped in by Leon Draisaitl for a power-play goal. The two assists put McDavid atop the NHL scoring leaders with 24 points.
The Hawks had all sorts of chances in the second period, including a six-shot power play early on, but Talbot was brilliant. Duncan Keith in the slot, Kane on a breakaway, and Vinnie Hinostroza off a slick dangle on the rush were all denied by Talbot. The backbreaker came with seven seconds left in the second period, as Andrej Sekera scored just as a Marcus Kruger penalty expired.
Edmonton put in the dagger at 7:17 of the third, when Anton Slepyshev beat Corey Crawford from a sharp angle — a rare soft goal given up by the Hawks goalie. Draisaitl added a second goal on a power play with 1:25 left in the game.
“I never really got into that one,” Crawford said. “It was a weird game.”
But one that followed an all-too-familiar script.
“That wasn’t our team,” Crawford countered. “Tough loss. Just forget about it and worry about the next game.”
Email: mlazerus@suntimes.com
Twitter: @marklazerus
