Seth Jones’ awful night, Mrazek PP miscue, and more: 3 reasons why Chicago Blackhawks lost 5-2 to Calgary Flames

The Chicago Blackhawks lost their third straight game on Monday night, dropping a 5-2 decision against the Calgary Flames at the United Center.

Jakob Pelletier scored twice for the Calgary Flames, with Mikael Backlund, Jake Bean and Yegor Sharangovich adding a shorthanded goal. Meanwhile, Louis Crevier and Connor Bedard scored for the Chicago Blackhawks.

So, let’s take a look at the three main reasons why the Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Calgary Flames:

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Three reasons why Chicago Blackhawks lost to Calgary Flames

#3 Awful first period

The Chicago Blackhawks gave up three goals in the first period to take a 3-1 deficit to the dressing room during the first intermission. In particular, Jakob Pelletier wreaked havoc on the Blackhawks, scoring twice in the period.

Pelletier’s first goal was a good example of just how much the Blackhawks were outplayed during the first 20 minutes. The Flames opened the scoring even before the Blackhawks could get their first shot of the game.

Moreover, defenseman Seth Jones just stood watching Pelletier take the shot from the top of the circle, beating goaltender Petr Mrazek on the blocker side. Jones didn’t even try to block the shot, leaving plenty of room for Pelletier to get his first of the night.

#2 Mrazek miscue on PP

It’s difficult to pin the loss on Petr Mrazek. However, the Chicago Blackhawks’s netminder had a poor game, giving up five goals on 36 shots. While Mrazek made 31 saves, it wasn’t enough to keep the Blackhawks in the game.

Additionally, Mrazek and the Blackhawks gave up a shorthanded goal, showing the weakness in the team’s defense. The sequence started with a terrible turnover in the Calgary zone as the Blackhawks held the puck with the man advantage.

The turnover became a 2-on-1, which Mrazek completely misplayed, allowing Yegor Sharangovich to deke Mrazek, and tuck the puck home from behind the net. The game was 4-2 at that point, with Sharangovich’s goal becoming the backbreaker on the night.

#1 Seth Jones’ awful night

Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones had an awful night. While he registered an assist on the night, he was a minus-4 in over 16 minutes of ice. The Blackhawks $76 million blue liner failed to block any shots in 19 shifts.

Jones’ poor defensive play has become a liability, leaving a gap in the Blackhawks defense core that needs to be addressed moving forward.

The Blackhawks will look to turn things around against Central Division rivals, the Nashville Predators on Thursday night. The Hawks will look to snap their current skid.