When 'pain' is the only thing keeping you from your goal, what's a little more? Eventually, the ache of not being out there battling with his teammates punished him even more than any physical limitations ever could.
That's not to suggest Tanev isn't healthy now, or that playing through an injury of some sort would cause any long-term issues. Let's be clear: Neither the player, nor the Flames medical staff would ever allow that to happen.
But when you repeatedly take bullets while playing big minutes on the penalty-kill (a team-leading 3:25 on Saturday, in fact), Tanev isn't the type to look the other way. He'll hop over the boards and do it again.
And again, and again.
All in the name of winning.
Commitment like that is what galvanizes a group and inspires others to do the same. It's a big reason why his 'mates have such immense respect for the man, because the selfless, business-like approach he carries himself with is infectious in a team environment.
"He's a leader with everything he does," said Jacob Markstrom, who's played behind Tanev for the past 10 years dating back to their time with the Vancouver Canucks. "I thought he showed that really clear on (Saturday) night. … He battles through almost anything."
"You know when he's not in the lineup.
And for nearly two whole weeks, that was the unpleasant reality facing the Flames, who waited for their stalwart rearguard to return from an upper-body injury.
In Saturday's win over the Winnipeg Jets, Tanev was officially credited with two blocks - the first, dropping to one knee and absorbing a Mark Scheifele one-timer off the mid-section. The other, a sprawling effort in the high slot, desperately rejecting a golden opportunity from the sharp-shooting Kyle Connor.
Better yet, while splayed out on his back, he had the wherewithal to reach back and swipe the puck down the ice to eliminate the threat and get a crucial line change.
These types of plays have become commonplace.
And when he's not in the lineup, not munching 20-plus minutes a night, it's clear the chasm that creates on the Flames blueline.
"It's about finding that right combination," Head Coach Darryl Sutter explained, assessing the state of his D corps following Saturday's victory. "Tanny can play with anybody.
"So, it's about getting him back."
It's why No. 8 is so lovingly referred to as the 'stabilizer.'
With the Flames looking down the barrel of a season-long, seven-game losing streak, it was no coincidence that the reversal in fortune happened to coincide with the blueliner's revival.
While Tanev quietly goes about his business - perhaps, more than anyone else on the circuit - he's as deeply woven into the fabric of the franchise as, say, your No.-1 goaltender or leading scorer.
Most of what he does will not show up on the stat sheet or highlight reels, but the data supports what a monster he is.
Even if he doesn't boast about it.
"Good," Tanev casually appraised of his weekend workload. "Better as the game went on.
"Definitely something to build on."
If that isn't the most 'Tanev' answer of all time, we don't know what is.
