GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Expectations for the Calgary Flames may have been unrealistic after last season's surprising playoff berth and first-round series win over Vancouver.
"We're still a young and developing team," Flames general manager Brad Treliving said.
The Flames won't be going to the postseason this year, but their young guns were on display in a 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday at Gila River Arena.
Rookie center Sam Bennett had a pair of goals, 21-year-old center Sean Monahan had the game-winner, 25-year-old defenseman T.J. Brodie added a goal and 26-year-old center Joe Colborne added an empty-netter as the Flames avoided a five-game sweep at the hands of the Coyotes.
Joni Ortio made 22 saves for the Flames. Rookie Anthony Duclair scored a pair of goals for Arizona, which got 16 saves from rookie goalie Louis Domingue. The Coyotes lead the NHL in goals (48) and points (125) from rookies this season.
Bennett gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 1:53 of the first period. Micheal Ferland stole the puck from Coyotes defenseman Nicklas Grossmann along the half wall and fed Bennett in the slot. Domingue had position on the shot, but his teammate, Jiri Sekac, deflected the puck back against the grain and inside the near post.
The Coyotes thought they had tied the game early in the second period when defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson beat Ortio through traffic, but Martin Hanzal interfered with Ortio by clearly taking his left leg out from under him as he skated past, thereby negating the goal.
The Coyotes finally tied the game on a power play at 6:08 of the second period.
Hanzal was screening Ortio, but slipped to the left of the net to take a feed from Max Domi. Hanzal one-touched a pass to Anthony Duclair at the far post for a tap-in goal.
Duclair gave the Coyotes a 2-1 lead when he cleaned up Alex Tanguay's rebound in front of the net after Hanzal pushed to him. It was Duclair's 19th goal of the season, tying him with Trevor Letowski for the second-most goals by a Coyotes rookie.
Bennett matched Duclair with his second goal of the game at 16:41 of the second period, when he converted his own rebound by flipping it over Domingue.
Monahan scored his 27th goal of the season on a rebound of Dougie Hamilton's shot to give Calgary a 3-2 lead with just 29 seconds left in the second period.
NOTES: Coyotes D Michael Stone will miss the rest of the regular season with a left knee injury suffered Saturday against Philadelphia, coach Dave Tippett said. Stone was due for an MRI on the knee Monday, at which point the team would determine the nature and extent of the injury, as well as a timetable for surgery and recovery. Stone got his left leg tangled with Flyers LW Michael Raffl in the third period against Philadelphia. ... Coyotes RW Shane Doan missed Monday's game as he undergoes league protocols for a concussion. Doan left Saturday's game in the third period when Flyers D Radko Gudas caught Doan in the head with a forearm and hip as Doan went to the boards on his knees. ... Flames LW Johnny Gaudreau missed the game with what the team termed a nagging upper-body issue. Calgary recalled Hunter Shinkaruk from Stockton of the AHL to replace him and also recalled C Derek Grant, RW Emile Poirier and D Brett Kulak. Shinkaruk and Grant played on the top line with C Sean Monahan.
