Flames earn shootout victory over Panthers
CALGARY, Alberta -- Two shootouts for Sean Monahan. Two game-winning goals.
The Calgary Flames rookie center, who has been the biggest positive in an already difficult season, was the hero yet again for the Calgary Flames in a 4-3 shootout win over the Florida Panthers on Friday night.
Monahan, who scored the winner a couple of games earlier in Winnipeg, ripped a shot past goalie Tim Thomas in the sixth round for the difference-making tally before the announced sellout crowd of 19,289 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
"You've gotta be calm and you've gotta be confident in your ability or you won't know what to do or you won't know where to place the puck," Monahan said. "I try to be confident with the puck and do whatever I can to put it in."
Monahan, the sixth overall selection in this year's draft who also has eight goals and 14 points, has sure shown a knack for scoring in big-game moments.
"He's a goal scorer, he has great vision plus he has great poise," head coach Bob Hartley said. "You can't teach poise."
The Flames are among the NHL's worst shootout teams historically, posting a 28-44 all-time record. At home, they've been downright ugly, with only seven wins at the Dome.
"Oh really. That's not good," center Joe Colborne said. "I'm not too sure how many other guys know. I bet you some of the guys who have been around the last few years appreciate it more than I did. I think we have a very under-rated bunch of skill players. No matter who we throw out, we know they'll have a good attempt and the goalie will have to be good to beat us."
The Flames have now won two straight shootouts, with Monahan scoring the winner both times and goalie Reto Berra backstopping them to victories in his only opportunities.
"They call him the King of Shootouts in Switzerland," Flames left winger Sven Baertschi said of his countryman. "He actually told me a secret. I'm not going to say anything, but he has a secret."
Berra needed a clutch performance in the shootout after surrendering a pair of third-period goals to right winger Jimmy Hayes and center Marcel Goc after the Flames staked a 3-1 lead. Defenseman Tom Gilbert also scored for the Panthers, who took advantage of yet another poor first-period performance by the Flames, who were held to just three shots on goal in the opening frame.
However, the Flames, facing a team that had played the night before for the fifth straight outing, regrouped. Colborne, Baertschi -- who snapped a 15-game goal-scoring drought -- and center Blair Jones scored to give the hosts a two-goal edge.
The Panthers finished a difficult five-game road trip with a 2-2-1 record, but disappointed they didn't claim the victory to make it a winning trek.
"We battled back hard in the third period," Thomas said. "We showed a lot of character, a lot of good things. That's good. When I see the team respond and step up like that, I want them to get the two points.
"I've always said you shouldn't get too high when you win those shootouts and you shouldn't get too low (when you lose). Putting that into practice is harder than saying it."
Berra, who made his sixth consecutive start, made 22 saves for the Flames (8-11-4).
Thomas stopped 23 shots for the Panthers (6-13-5).
NOTES: The Flames acquired LW Lane MacDermid from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a sixth-round draft choice in 2014. MacDermid was assigned to the AHL Abbotsford Heat. The move comes a day after the Flames traded RW Tim Jackman to the Anaheim Ducks for a 2014 sixth-round draft choice. ... Florida RW Tomas Kopecky (upper body) and C Jesse Winchester (lower body) were both injured in the Edmonton game the night before and didn't play. In turn, the Panthers suited up C Scott Gomez and LW Sean Bergenheim. ... The Flames recalled C Blair Jones from the minors. Jones, who spent much of last season in the minors despite having a one-way contract, was leading the Heat with 20 points. He netted 18 points in the last 14 games before being summoned. ... Florida's struggles in the second period reared its ugly head again. With Calgary scoring twice in the middle frame, the Panthers have been outscored 31-14 in the second period.
