Sutter’s controversial decision about Flames’ Monahan pays off

Darryl Sutter recently took flak for sticking with Sean Monahan on the Calgary Flames first power-play unit, but it’s a decision that’s handsomely paying off. 

Sutter took some criticism for what was, just a while ago, considered a controversial decision by sections of the hockey world. Monahan was clearly not firing on all cylinders. The Flames centre hasn’t been in top form for a season and half, coming off his lowest points per game total in the 2020-2021 season.

And while Monahan has also struggled to find the net this season, he’s just one point behind the Flames’ leading power-play point getter, Matthew Tkachuk. Twelve of Monahan’s 19 points, four goals and eight assists, have come on the man advantage.

He has scored a power-play goal in successive home games and is showing signs of putting an end to his malaise once and for all.

Nobody expects Monahan, especially as he plays on a third line that doesn’t get nearly as many scoring chances as the first two units, to net 34 goals like he did in the 2018-2019 campaign.

However, the 27-year-old is still a threat when the opportunity arises. He knows his way around the goal and has the ability to punish the opposition, particularly in the company of Johnny Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson.

Monahan’s early-season analytics left a lot to be desired, but he’s trending in the right direction, reinforcing Sutter’s decision to ensure he stays on the top power-play unit.

That decision will in the long run benefit the Flames, who are picking up confidence and gaining momentum at home, thanks in large part to a formidable power-play unit led by Monahan.