If it was a clogged breather hose, you should have heard a quite audible "whooosh" when you opened the gas cap.
Beyond that, make it a practice to check the 4 hoses every time you lube the chain, or every time you change your oil.
2 are breathers - engine and fuel tank, and the other 2 are airbox drains. Those 2 should have "squirrel condoms" inside them to keep from drawing dirty air in beyond the filter. They need milked and cleaned once in awhile also, although that's not related to the problem you had...
