By now, Matthew Tkachuk could teach a master class.
He didn't score, log an assist or chalk up a 'touch' on the game-winning strike in Monday's victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
But great players don't always blow the doors off.
Not every night, anyway.
'IMPORTANT - IN SO MANY WAYS'
Tkachuk's impact on the ice goes far beyond just points and hits
Whether it's making a hit, drawing a penalty, or simply having a presence in front of the net, the great ones get involved. They inject themselves into the guts of a game and drag others into the fight along with them.
And in Calgary, no one does it better than No. 19.
"He's one of those guys that you absolutely hate to play against, but you love to have on your team," said linemate Elias Lindholm. "So, I'm obviously pretty happy that he's playing on my side.
"Sometimes, the team isn't feeling it, nothing's working out there and you need some energy, whether it's a good shift or a (voice) a bench. He finds a way to get something going and get the boys fired up, no matter how the game is going.
"He's such an important player for us - in so many ways."
Tkachuk, who took a well-deserved "maintenance day" at Wednesday's practice, had his fingerprints all over Monday's 5-2 triumph over the Flames' hated, West-Coast rivals. In all, he played more than 23 minutes, had three shots on goal, two hits, and drew a key penalty late in the second period that allowed his linemate to bang home the eventual winning marker in fine, buzzer-beating fashion.
On the penalty in the question, Tkachuk planted himself at the top of the paint, towering over Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko as he knocked Alex Edler out of the way in the process, post-whistle. Tyler Myers took exception and delivered a stiff left jab straight to the jaw.
Ouch.
But in Tkachuk's ever-exciting line of work, that's the cost of doing business in the trenches.
A deterrent? Hardly.
If anything, knowing the response it produced, he was even more motivated to get back and do it all over again.
"Sometimes, you sit there and laugh because of how effective he is at getting under their skin," Lindholm chuckled. "But at the same time, that's part of his game. It's why he's one of the best players in the league, because he does all that, he scores goals, he makes great plays in the D zone …
"He does it all."
Monday was the first game this year that Tkachuk was held off the scoresheet, but it certainly speaks to his talent and versatility that a heated, divisional matchup like that can change on his watch.
And it's easy to see why.
No other player has driven the offence like he has this year in a Flames uniform.
In his 37:54 of 5-on-5 ice time, the Flames have controlled 71.19% (42-17) of the shot attempts, 79.31% (23-6) of the scoring chances, 85.71% (6-1) of the high-danger chances - all, while out-scoring their opponents 2-0, and with only five offensive-zone starts.
In fact, his 29.41 OZ% is lowest among forwards - meaning he's facing some of the toughest matchups on the team, and is doing so with the least-favourable conditions, 200-ft. from the opposing goal-line.
"He's been great every night; in all facets of the game," said Head Coach Geoff Ward. "We've been pleased with him. It just goes back to that saying that your best players have to be your best players. And he's one of our best players.
"We don't have to say much to him. He understands the game and he's a smart hockey player. He's doing the things that he needs to do to get himself prepared right now and it's translating into how effective he is on the ice."
With another two so far this season, Tkachuk has drawn a league-high 163 penalties since the start of the 2016-17 campaign - seven clear of second-place Tom Wilson, and 16 up on Connor McDavid, who sits third with 147.
(Johnny Gaudreau, by the way, is fifth with 127 in that same span.)
When you're moving your feet, laying the body and winning puck battles down low, good things happen. Whether it's a penalty or an offensive chance that results from his gritty, lunch-pail effort, it's a big reason why the new centre-left wing combo has been such a boon for everyone involved.
The Tkachuk-Lindholm pair is an elite tandem that has not only helped power the Flames offensively, but they've also stabilized things in the D zone, taking the most difficult, head-to-head matchups off the plate of Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, and allowing them to attack more freely up the ice.
"First line, fourth line - it doesn't matter," Lindholm said. "We're balanced, up and down the lineup.
"For us, it all starts in the D zone. If we do it right there, we know the offensive opportunities will come - and they have.
"Throughout my time here in Calgary, we've created pretty good chemistry and we pretty much think the game the same way. Chucky is really good down low in the offensive zone, and I'm more of a slot guy right now. It's great, because we can play off each other and really work to our strengths.
"If I set up in the slot, I know that he's really good and winning those battles and finding that lane to the middle.
"If we keep doing that, we're going to score a lot of goals and win a lot of games."