Monahan’s two-goal performance powers Calgary Flames past Florida Panthers 5-1

CALGARY - After spending a lot of the season on the Calgary Flames’ fourth line Sean Monahan lastly discovered his scoring contact.

Monahan’s first two-goal sport of the season helped the slumping Flames to a shock 5-1 victory over the NHL-leading Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

“When the puck goes in, you get some extra confidence in your sport and also you wish to proceed that,” mentioned Monahan, a three-time 30-goal scorer, who entered the night time having solely scored 4 instances. “Clearly I wish to produce and I’ve bought to maintain working at that.”

After scoring a power-play purpose on a deflection at 16:03 of the second interval to make it 3-1, Monahan put the sport away within the third, making it 5-1 at 6:43, taking a drop go from Johnny Gaudreau and neatly beating Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight.

“Nice to see him get rewarded,” mentioned Gaudreau, who had his first four-assist sport ever on dwelling ice and simply the second of his profession. “Whenever you discover him within the slot, he places the puck within the web. He made my job straightforward.”

Flames coach Darryl Sutter emphasised that’s it’s not simply the 2 targets, however how he scored them.

“One’s a face-off purpose. He wins the draw then suggestions it after Johnny shoots it. It’s an influence play so that you’ve bought to win your attracts,” Sutter mentioned. “The opposite purpose he scored, it’s a line change, (Elias Lindholm) comes off and Sean goes on, however he kills the play inside our personal blue line which creates the chance going the opposite manner. He made two actually good performs.”

Matthew Tkachuk mentioned that Monahan, who has typically been the goal of fan scorn, performs a much bigger function than followers understand.

“He does a number of little issues that most individuals don’t discover,” mentioned Tkachuk, who had a purpose and two assists. “He’s actually strong for us on the facility play. We’re on the market essentially the most with him and he’s nice on attracts, nice recovering pucks. He’s a giant time menace that opens up some stuff for the remainder of us.”

The facility play was key for the Flames hanging twice on three alternatives after getting into the sport 0-for-10 in the course of the dropping streak.

Rasmus Andersson, together with his first of the season, and Blake Coleman additionally scored for Calgary (18-11-6), which snapped a four-game dropping streak and gained on dwelling ice for the primary time since Nov. 29.

The Flames entered the night time 2-7-1 of their earlier 10 video games.

“It’s tough typically if you’re going by means of skids like that to get up, come to observe,” mentioned Gaudreau. “However after a giant win like that, guys are excited. You’re at all times excited to be on the rink, but it surely’s a distinct perspective if you’re profitable video games.”

Sam Bennett scored the lone purpose for Florida (26-8-5), which had its four-game profitable streak and nine-game points-streak (8-0-1) snapped. The Panthers are simply 5-5-5 on the highway.

“Didn’t actually come ready to play right here early. That’s on me,” mentioned Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette. “We weren’t ready to pay the value tonight. It’s going to occur, video games like this.“

The subsequent outing for each groups might be in Edmonton with the Panthers’ second cease on a five-game highway journey happening on Thursday. Calgary isn’t again in motion till Saturday at Rogers Place.

“As good as it might be to go 82-0, you will have ups and downs all through the season, so it’s nearly the way you reply,” mentioned former Flame Ryan Lomberg.

Markstrom, who has given up 4 or extra targets in 4 of his earlier 5 begins, made 28 stops to enhance to 13-8-5.

Beginning for the primary time in eight video games, Knight made 26 saves. His document falls to 7-5-2.

“Early on we weren’t a lot assist. After which I assumed he actually bought his sport going within the second interval.,” Brunette mentioned. “He gave us an opportunity to be proper there, 2-1 hockey sport, and we self-destructed.”

Bennett, in his first sport again in Calgary scored 12:36 into the second to briefly reduce Florida’s deficit in half.

Bennett was traded to Florida final season after logging 402 video games with Calgary over six seasons. He’s been a revelation since becoming a member of the Panthers, scoring 22 targets in 40 video games.

Notes: Tkachuk has 13 factors (six targets, seven assists) over his final eight video games... Gaudreau’s solely different four-assist sport was in Nashville on Feb. 21, 2017... It was the primary time this season Florida didn't get a degree from a defenceman... Mason Marchment returned to the Panthers lineup for the primary time since Jan. 1. An help provides him a five-game level streak..

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 18, 2022.