Matt Coronato (Brett Holmes-Imagn Images)Just being in the playoff battle all season long should be a huge positive for the Calgary Flames.
There is zero room for error for the Flames to make the playoffs in 2024-25, as they trail the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues by five points. But heading into the season, the Flames weren’t expected to be this competitive.
Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau have done their part, and rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf will likely be a Calder Trophy finalist. But another player who deserves credit and is on a mini goal-scoring streak right now is Matt Coronato.
In his first full season with the Flames, 22-year-old Coronato has 23 goals, one of three Flames to hit the 20-goal mark, and 19 assists for 42 points. He has goals in each of his last three games heading into Friday night's contest against the Wild.
“It's been a good year – I think for us as a team, it's awesome to be in this position where these games are so important and so meaningful,” Coronato said. “Personally, getting to play with older guys like (Mikael) Backlund and (Blake) Coleman and Huberdeau, I’ve been able to learn a lot this year.”
If Coronato could speak to his younger self, he’d let that up-and-coming version know how important it is to perform every day when called upon.
“I guess if I were to look back, I’d say one of the most important things is to be consistent,” he said. “I think every night, you have to be at your best everyday, whether it's practice or a game, you got to be at your best so just preparing to be ready to go every single day is really important.”
For more on the rise of Coronato and the Flames' bright future, Avry Lewis-McDougall has more in his video column on this page.
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