Was an inevitability given the Carpenter acquisition and Monahan’s usage over the course of the season. Went from 3rd line to 4th line, top PP unit to the second unit to no unit this past week, only 9 minutes of ice time on Tuesday. It’s been a slow lead up to this point and it’s probably the right decision for the Flames’ push into/through the playoffs.
I’m sure Monahan will have a good attitude about this decision though. 2 things I cannot question is his attitude and his work ethic. Dude has worked his ass off this season, playing harder then I’ve ever seen him play in the past. No short cuts, no whining and I’m sure he’ll work even harder the next time he’s in. Good team guy. He just simply doesn’t fit the checking style mold that Darryl requires.
|