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  By beating the Flames 4-1 Monday to clinch the series, I must admit the youthful Chicago Blackhawks proved me wrong.

  It was Feb. 5 just after the Hawks had beaten the Flames 5-2 in the 52nd reg-season game for both that I made an assessment.

  “This is a team you wouldn’t mind playing in the playoffs.”

  It wasn’t a put down of the Hawks. In fact it was said they’d be an NHL power in the future but lacked the playoff experience for round one.

  At the time, despite the loss, the Flames were comfortably in first place in the NW Division holding a 10-point lead over Vancouver.  The Canucks would rally and nab top spot dropping the Flames to #5 seed in the Western Conference and a first round set with the Hawks. Chicago had home ice advantage but still the Flames, despite injuries, had experience and size on their side.

  The young Hawks defensemen, especially Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith, were great in the Hawks 6-game series win over the Flames.  Their outstanding young forwards — Toews, Kane, Versteeg, Sharp, Byfulien – weren’t awed about where they were and able to handle the heavy going. Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was his normal spectacular self against the Flames, especially in the 6th game.

  The first four games were closely contested leaving the series tied 2-2 as it should have been.  The Hawks dominated the pivotal 5th game with the Flames admitting they were “terrible”.

  The Flames performance was much better in the 6th game outshooting the Hawks 44-16 despite having star defenseman Dion Phaneuf join the defense injured list. But the Chicago PP was better scoring 2 timely goals with the man advantage. The Flames failed on 3 PP chances and were a mere 2-of-18 in the series.

  To be sure injuries played a part in the Flames decline. After having a few over more than half the season, the injury hit hard down the stretch.  Perhaps the loss of Robyn Regehr was the greatest loss.  The shutdown defenseman missed the series with a knee injury suffered in the 4th last reg-season. The Flames were in 1st place at time.

    But the young and the handful of old Hawks get full marks for sending the Flames to the sidelines in the fjrst round for the 4th straight year.

  History isn’t on the Flames sides.

  Injuries have hit more Flames than Blackhawks.

  So as the Flames face elimination Monday their greatest advantage may be the hometown crowd.

   Home ice advantage has prevailed in all 5 games to date in this series. Eventually, if the Flames are to advance beyond the round one for the first time since 2004, they will have to win in Chicago. First though they have to setup a Game 7.

  The “C of Red” in the Saddledome will be the 7th man Monday night as the Flames attempt to stave off elimination especially at the beginning as Mike Keenan’s crew looks to rebound from what they admit was an unacceptable effort in the 5-1 setback in Chicago on Saturday.

  Only once since 1978 has the team losing Game 5 of a series tied 2-2 rallied to win the 6th game at home and then capture Game 7 on the road.  Some of the Flames may recall the experience from the 2006 first round playoff series with Anaheim.  The Flames captured the 5th game of that series grabbing a 3-2 edge only to have the Ducks win the 6th game at home and then Game 7 in the Saddledome.   That was just the fourth time since 1939 that such a scenario has transpired in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

  Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter told the Fan960 on our pre-game show during the final weekend of the reg-season that the reason his team lost first place to Vancouver was due to injuries. Now the Flames will have to overcome injuries to win this series.  Sutter opinioned that injuries to Daymond Langkow, Rene Bourque, Robyn Regehr, Cory Sarich and Marc Giordano hampered the team down the stretch.  Regehr and Giordano are still out. Langkow, Bourque, Sarich, Craig Conroy have been playing with injuries and now Dion Phaneuf is questionable for Monday.

  The big blueliner was stricken in the 3rd period Saturday after a hit from Troy Brouwer and left the game.  Coach Keenan would only say Phaneuf is day-to-day.

  Should the Flames prevail Monday, their odds would improve.  Only 4 times in 30 years has the home team won all 7 games of a series going the distance.

  If Game 7 is needed, it’ll be Wednesday in Chicago.

  In Reader’s Digest terms, Game 5 was a one-minute and 49-second game.

  The records show the Flames and Blackhawks played the required 60 minutes.

  All that was really required was the 1:49 sequence midway in the 1st period. The Hawks scored 3 goals and coasted the rest of the way as the 22,500 Chicago fans roared their approval. The Hawks skated to a 5-1 win and a 3-2 lead in the best of 7 series.

  The homer trend continued, but the first goal of the game jinx concluded.  The Hawks scored the first goal 9:16 into the game on a PP.  Unlike the prior 4 games, the team scoring first wouldn’t relinguished the advantage.

  The unexplained was how the Flame be so flat for such an important game.  All the players  admitted they weren’t ready but nobody had an answer as to why.

  Coach Mike Keenan accepted the blame.  “The team didn’t respond and wasn’t prepared, that’s the coach’s responsibility and that’s my job.

  The flight home was even quieter than the 3-hour 15-minute trek after the club lost the first 2 games in Chicago.

  The plus factor, is that Game 6 is in the Saddledome on Monday where the Flames won games 3 and 4.

  Captain Jarome Iginla, who generally is at the top of his game in the big one’s, wasn’t. He had plenty of company.

  While injured players Craig Conroy, Rene Bourque and Daymond Langkow all played, defense ace Dion Phaneuf was injured in the 3rd period on a hit from Troy Brouwer and didn’t finish.  The extent and location of injury not known.

  Miikka Kiprusoff didn’t finish the game either.  Starting in his 81st game of the season, the goalie from Finland was pulled after the 4th goal in the 2nd period.

  As the Flames finished the regular-season with a shorthanded line-up due to Salary Cap issues and injuries, there were more than a few disgrunted fans.

  All’s well that ends well. Wednesday the Flames were reduced to playing 9 forwards just like old days (a week-and-half ago) and Coach Mike Keenan felt being familiar with playing short-staffed helped the Flames gain a 6-4 win over Chicago.  Now the series is even at 2-2.

  Speaking of all’s well that ends well. 

  The weird game saw the Blackhawks score the first goal only to have the Flames take it away. Then in the first half of the 2nd period the Flames charged to a 4-1 lead. However, the fans had barely settled into what was thought to be a “comfort zone” when the Hawks struck for 3 goals in the 2nd half of the 2nd.

  As the game went to the 2nd intermission, fears of a a lost opportunity made the rounds among Flame followers.  Not the players. Regaining their composure, Eric Nystrom gave the Flames a goal they wouldn’t relinguish at 13:04 of the 3rd.

  Salary Caps issues aren’t what reduced the Flame line-up It was injuries.  Craig Conroy, who hasn’t missed a game all year, left after the first period with an undisclosed ailment. Then Daymond Langkow left after blocking a shot with his hand. Although participating in the pre-game warm-up, Rene Bourque, did not play and no injury undate was made.

  As the club heads to Chicago for Game 5 on Saturday, they have more than enough players around to fill the line-up card, but just who will play in the group of 18 skaters and a goalie is a huge question.

  Nobody’s questioning Ollie Jokinen about why he hasn’t scored anymore.  The big centre, who’s acquistion from Phoenix at the trade deadline plus a stream of injuries forced the shorthanded line-up for the final 5 games of the schedule, scored 2 goals and assisted on another.  His goals were his first in 17 games.

    All’s well that ends well. The Flames hope the big Finn can keep it going.

   Its Earth Day and tonight it’ll be more player friendly, at least, verbally, as the Flames and Blackhawks clash in Game 4.

   An edict from the NHL office will tone down the trash talking and “face-wash” activity after the whistle, but don’t look for the intensity level to be anything less than we saw in the 3rd game on Monday.

   The end of Game 3 and the day off in between on Tuesday featured plenty of jawing from both sides.

   Now its back to the ice where the players are much better performers.

    …And both teams recognize the importance on Game 4. That should put a lid on extra-curricular activity. At least, until late in the game if one team has the game wrapped up.

    Ollie Jokinen played perhaps his best game as a Flame in the 3rd game and by far his best in the series and more of that is needed if the set is to shift back to Chicago tied.

   Jarome Iginla was provoked at the end of Monday’s contest, if not all the way through it. The Flame captain didn’t mind so much the verbal abuse he took but he was especially incensed over the crosscheck Adam Burish place on Rene Bourque late in the game.

   Burish will play Wednesday, having escaped suspension.

   Bourque’s availability is less certain.  Already playing after missing 6 weeks due to a high ankle sprain, which he may have re-injured, Bourque was also injured in the attack from Burish. How much remains to be determined.  All Mike Keenan is saying is that he’s day-to-day.

    Bourque has been a key player in the first 3 games and if he isn’t able to go it’ll take something away from the Flames, but at this time of year lesser-lights have been known to step up with career games.

   “The all-important first goal” isn’t so important in this Flame-Blackhawk series.

   Monday night for the 3rd time in 3 games, team scoring first lost.  This time it was the Flames yielding the first goal, just 2:03 into the first period.  Less than 5 minutes later, Eric Nystrom tied it for the Flames.  The first of 4-straight Calgary goals on their way to a 4-2 victory.

   It was the most goals the Flames scored again Nikolai Khabublin in 10 games including reg-season and playoffs.  The last time the Flames scored for against  the Hawks netminder was Nov. 26/06 in a 4-1 triumph. 

  Miikka Kiprusoff was outstanding in the Flame nets making 36 saves including 16 in the 3rd period.    

  The series finally became heated in the third game with countless scrums and then with 13sec left a crosscheck by the Hawks’ Adam Burish to the jaw of Rene Bourque trigged lots of pushing, shoving and angry words.

   Afterwards, Flame coach Mike Keenan felt Burish should have been  assessed a match penalty and is looking to the NHL for further discipline against the Hawks winger.  

  Teams have comeback frrom being down 2-0 in a playoff series, but the Flames have never done so as they await Monday’s Game 3 at the Saddledome.

   Nine times the Flames have gotten off to 0-2 starts in playoff series, losing all 9.

   There’s always a first time and now the Flames look to commence that rally at home against the Blackhawks.

   Three times in the past 4 playoff years, teams have gotten themselves in a 0-2 hole but have rallied to win. In 2006,the two teams that made comebacks would eventually meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.

   That was 2006. In the first round eventual Cup champion, Carolina Hurricanes, lost the first 2 games at home to Montreal only to roar back and win the next 4.  In the 2nd round in ‘06, the Edmonton Oilers lost the first 2 in San Jose before capturing the next 4 and the series. The Oilers would eventaully face the ‘Canes in the finals.

   Montreal turned the tables in ‘05 when they were defeated in the first 2 games in Boston but would take the series in 6.

   The Flames know, to a man, that they have to be solid and on top of the Hawks for the full 60 minutes - plus, if necessary. Not just in spurts.

   Cory Sarich, who returned on Saturday to play on 7:12 before departing with more injury woes is listed as questionable for tonight due to his ankle injury.

  Its said that home ice advantage is worth a goal-a-game.  The Blackhawks got that edge in front of their wild, maddening red-towel waiving Chicago crowd with a pair of 3-2 wins.

  Now its imperative the “C” of Red provide the Flames with the same spark on Monday and Wednesday.

  The one big factor favoring the Flames at the outset of this best-of-series was their vast playoff experience when compared to the NHL’s youngest club.

  The Hawks provided undaunted by their new surrounding. Instead of being awestruck there were resilient in both games 1 and 2.

  The Flames had a pair of one-goal leads taken away in the first game before losing 3-2 in ot.  Then they were ahead by a pair of goals after the first period of the 2nd game.  The Hawks scored the next 3 goals — all in the 2nd period.  Now they have a 2-0 lead in games as the Saddledome gets to host a pair of games.

  Flame captain Jarome Iginla felt it was “totally unacceptable” that the older Flames couldn’t protect those leads.

  Now instead of doubt, the Hawks have a swagger led by their 20-year-old captain Jonathen Toews, who had 2 goals Saturday.

   The Flames now have doubt about their ability to solve the oldest Hawk, Nikolai Khabublin, who made 30 stops, many of them looking like sure goals. Khabublin has now beaten the Flames the last 5 times he’s faced them plus 4-in-a-row looking back to the 2004 Cup finals when he was with Tampa.  Overall he’s 28-8-2 against the Flames in his career.

  The Flames 3 hour and 15 minute flight home on Saturday night was their quietest of the year.

  Now can the roar of the Saddledome faithfuls give them that one-goal edge?  There season depends on it.

   For 5 years now I’ve contended that if the red light had gone and Flames had staged a celebration when Martin Gelinas scored in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final in 2004 the frenzy among the “C” of Red in Saddledome would have seen the goal count.

Thursday evening, here in Chicago, the towel waving by the crowd of 22,458 may have had an impact on the OT winner by Martin Havlat.

The goal just 12 seconds into OT gave the Hawks a 3-2 win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

The Flames contended that Havlat’s linemate, Andrew Ladd, interfered with Miikka Kiprusoff and that a goaltender interference penalty should have been called.

With the red light on and the celebration underway, calling the goal back would have created a gigantic scene.

Mike Keenan contended that Ladd did not try to stop his forward movement toward Kiprusoff.

Meanwhile, the NHL will review an elbow by Mike Cammalleri to the head of Havlat early in the 3rd period. Cammalleri received a 2-minute minor penalty.  There could be an additional penalty depending on the league decision.

Keenan is considered the master of line juggling, but on Thursday Blackhawk coach Joel Quenneville took a page out of Keenan’s book and it paid off.

Havlat, who also scored the tying goal with 5:33 left in the 3rd period, scored both key goals away from his regular linemates.  After playing half the game with youngster Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Quenneville moved Havlat to RW on a line with Dave Bolland and Ladd. That’s when the Hawks’ regular-season scoring leader struck for the pivotal tallies.

The Flames led for most of the night but after Cammalleri gave the Flames a 2-1 lead early in the 3rd period, the Hawks poured it on forcing Kiprusoff to make a number of outstanding saves before Havlat broke through with his 2 goals.

The Flames took a number of positives from the game, which they hope will help produce a different result in Game 2 on Saturday.  A negative again was the PP which was 0-for-3 including a 4-minute stretch after they’d taken the 1-0 lead.  In that time just one Flame shot on goal.

   Tuesday chatting with Mike Keenan the question was asked about the importance of having home ice advantage in a playoffs.  He answered, “where you really like to have it, is if a series going to Game 7 in your rink.”

   When he was told Game 7’s haven’t meant much to the Flames in recent ventures, he asked, “The home team wins a great majority of the Game 7’s in the NHL.”

    Not if its the Flames in the Saddledome. When he was filled in on Game 7 history, Flames style, the coach started to feel better about not having home ice advantage in this series against Chicago. 

    The Flames haven’t won a Game 7 in the Saddledome since the Stanley Cup season of 1988-89 and even that one was a cliff-hanger. 

    When Joel Otto scored in the last minute of the first OT period against Vancouver in Game 7 in April of ‘89, little did he know 20 years would pass without a Flame scoring a winning goal in the 7th game of a playoff series ine the Saddledome.

    Four times since then, the Flames have hosted Game 7, losing all 4.

   The most recent was 2006 against Anaheim.  The Flames won the NW Div pennant that season. Their first round series with the 6th seeded Ducks went the limit with the visitors capturing the series with a 3-0 win in Calgary.

     In 1995, it was an OT Game 7 in the ‘Dome with the San Jose Sharks on a goal by Ray Whitney eliminating the Flames after they had held a 3 games to 2 lead.

     The previous year, 1994,  it was an even more devasting Game 7 setback on home ice.  The Flames led Vancouver 3 games to 1 before the Canucks rallied with 3-straight OT wins including Game 7 in the Saddledome.

      In 1991, the Flames suffered another crushing Game 7 loss in the ‘Dome.  In Game 6 the Flames went into Edmonton facing elimination but when Theoren Fleury scored the famous celebration goal in OT, the series was headed back to Calgary for a Game 7.  The Flames grabbed a quick 3-0 first period lead over the Oilers.  The Oilers reduced it to 3-1 with a goal in the final minute in the first period.  The Oilers would rally to win 5-4 in OT to capture the series.

    Fact is the last 3 playoff series the Flames have won came when they didn’t have home ice advantage including a Game 7 win on the road in Vancouver in 2004.

    So, perhaps, it isn’t such a big deal that the Flames won’t have home ice advantage in this series vs the Blackhawks starting Thursday and Saturday in the Windy City.