AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh

A first period goal from Olli Jokinen was not a comforting way to start the game.  It was a gorgeous slapper to the top the net that surely made some Hawks fans think, “Oh boy, here we go again.”

The Hawks responded in clutch form by knotting it up with 29 seconds left in the first period.  Patrick Kane delivered a gorgeous pass Brent Seabrook who buried it in the net to tie it up.

Last second goals like Seabrooks, are huge going into the intermission to grab some momentum back and come out strong in the second, as the Hawks did for the most part.

The Hawks played a fairly solid second period until Michael Frolik took a stupid double minor penalty with 3:24 left in the period.

Jay Bouwmeester capitalized on the back end of the power play scoring with a little over a minute left in the second.

The Hawks played a much more physical second period, going after the body and at least tried finishing their checks, which is more than they do on a typical night.

The third period was a bit sloppier for the Hawks.  The Flames dominated center ice and roughly 13 minutes in, Jarome Iginla received a LONG pass from Alex Tanguay that Duncan Keith probably should have stopped.  Iginla on a breakaway is not a comforting sight for any goaltender.  Emery did his best, but got devastated by Jarome.

Steve Montador took some boneheaded back-to-back penalties late in the third that all about sealed it for Calgary.  It’s difficult to gain momentum and score goals when you’re a man down.

If there’s a silver lining to this trash play by the Hawks, it’s the following:  Bryan Bickell actually played a pretty solid game for once.  He was active and even finished some checks.  Additionally, I love the steps Viktor Stalberg has taken to improve his game.  His defense off the puck has been fantastic.  Additionally, he’s been playing quite Marian Hossa-esque as of late, weaving through defensemen and making opportunities happen.

That’s pretty much all I’ve got from this game.  Changes need to come soon to give this team some energy.  Their defense, or lack thereof, makes them look deflated and takes a lot of energy out of the forwards.  Don’t think for a minute that this doesn’t affect their ability to score goals.  Bottom line, as we’ve said all season, the Hawks need to add defense.  The sky is not falling quite yet, but one third of the way through the road trip, the slope is looking awfully slippery.  Let’s not forget how terrible the Hawks looked after the Olympic break in 2010.  Practice some breathing exercises with me until Stan Bo figures out a way to get these guys back on their feet.