Sean Monahan Not Going Through a Sophomore Slump
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
After a rookie season that saw Sean Monahan post 34 points for the Calgary Flames, Monahan is proving that it was no fluke. In his second full season in the NHL, Monahan and the Flames are having some unexpected success. Based off his start to the year, it’s looking like Sean Monahan will not go through a sophomore slump.
Monahan had a tough start to the 2014-15 season. Battling the flu for the first couple of weeks made it hard for him to get anything going. With only four points in his first 10 games of the year, a sophomore slump looked like it was on the horizon for Monahan.
Monahan’s play has completely turned around since then. With eight points in his last eight games, he is playing much better than he did to start the season. Of course this can be attributed to being healthy and not having to battle the flu, but Monahan is looking solid this season. Last year, he finished with a plus-minus rating of minus 20. This year he is at plus four. It’s easier to have a better plus-minus rating when your team is playing well, but Monahan’s play of late has been great. He leads the team in shots on net with 46, he’s playing on the top line and being put in different situations, but most importantly he’s contributing.
Finding success alongside Jiri Hudler and even Johnny Gaudreau at times have made for a good start to Monahan’s second season. If he continues to play like he has the last eight games he certainly won’t be mentioned in the discussion of a sophomore slump. Monahan will only improve as he continues to learn the nuances of life in the NHL. Look for him to continue to be a big contributor to the Flames as they look to keep up the solid start to the season.
Shaun Lavery is a Calgary Flames writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, or add him to your network on Google.
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