Three positives from win over Panthers that bode well for Flames

1. Monahan back to what he does best

Even Monahan would admit that his season thus far has been nothing short of disastrous. The expectations of a player earning 6.5 million USD per year are exceedingly high, and so they should be. The Flames forward’s malaise started long before this season. He only scored 10 goals in 50 games last season, convincing many that his substantial reduction in offensive production isn’t temporary. And that’s obviously very worrying for Flames fans.

Even with his two goals last night, Monahan has only scored six this season. While there’s still a lot of hockey to be played, his current goal return equates to the 27-year-old earning over a million dollars per goal. And that’s USD. So it’s more like five million a goal. Ok, so that might be a slight exaggeration. Suffice to say, he’s currently the most overpaid player in Cowtown.

You could see the elation on his teammate’s faces when he scored his first. And when Johnny Hockey put it on a platter for his second, you could feel what it meant to the team and fans. The Flames need Monahan, who has 210 goals in 626 games, to score goals. It’s what he’s best at. It’s what he’s done his entire career.

The cruel reality is the centreman’s days at Calgary are most likely numbered. So it’s crucial the Flames get the most out of him before he departs for pastures anew. The chances of Calgary making a deep playoff run are predicated on Monahan consistently contributing on the offensive end. Hopefully his two goals on Tuesday will awake him from his deep, extended hibernation.