Johnny Gaudreau’s return from injury has helped propel the Calgary Flames up the NHL standings, but there’s more to the team’s revival.
Goaltender Chad Johnson stealing a 1-0 shutout win from the Minnesota Wild the same night Gaudreau broke his finger Nov. 15 was a life preserver to flailing 5-10-1 team.
Sean Monahan scoring just his second goal of the month Nov. 28 in an overtime loss to the New York Islanders indicated Calgary’s top centre was finding a way out of his slump.
Johnson’s stinginess and Monahan’s output since those dates are significant to Calgary’s turnaround, as is Gaudreau’s two goals and six assists in four games since he sat out 10.
Winners of 11 of their last 15 and a season-high six straight, Calgary (16-13-2) was one point back of the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers tied atop the Pacific Division heading into Tuesday’s games.
READ MORE: Calgary Flames prepare for life without left-winger Johnny Gaudreau
The Flames, who are at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, were six points ahead of their pace a year ago when they were 13-14-2 on Dec. 13.
“We have confidence now we can play with any team in any rink and feel confident we can win,” Johnson said Tuesday following practice at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Monahan is riding a career-high seven-game point streak — four goals and five assists — starting with that goal against the Islanders. The 22-year-old leads the Flames in goals with nine.
“I didn’t have a great start to the season. Obviously everyone knows that,” Monahan said Tuesday. “The position I’m in, I had to be better.”
“When things aren’t going your way, you’ve got to find a way to work harder. It’s a pretty common saying. Sometimes you’re just not feeling it. Once one thing happens, sometimes you kind of get going. That goal in Brooklyn there you could maybe pinpoint.”
Johnson has effectively wrested the starting job away from Brian Elliot with a 10-2 record, a 1.75 goals against average and a .942 save percentage since that 27-save performance against the Wild.
“The game in Minnesota, he was spectacular,” Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said. “We shouldn’t have won that game. Chad was just calm and solid in that game to get that shutout.
“I think his game just carried from there. It gave the guys confidence in him too.”
Johnson has been a backup more than he’s been a starter in his career.
READ MORE: Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau fractures finger, undergoes surgery
For the Flames to play with more authority in front of him, the 30-year-old Calgarian knew he had to exude poise in addition to making saves he shouldn’t.
“You want the organization, your teammates especially, fans, everybody to feel like you’re giving them confidence,” Johnson said.
“It’s big that you show that confidence, that stability for them to feel confident. They don’t want a guy who is sprawling around, nervous in the net.”
Calgary’s special teams have gone from the worst in the NHL to a more respectable 15.5 per cent power play (21st) and 78.8 per cent penalty kill (25th).
Johnson is the key figure in the improved penalty kill. Calgary’s goal differential shrunk from a league-worst minus-20 to minus-six.
The Flames have poured 16 pucks past opposing goaltenders in the four games since Gaudreau’s return.
“Having him back gives our team a bunch of energy,” Monahan said.
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