▁Otto ▁established ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁top ▁def ensive ▁forward ▁for ▁the ▁Fl ames ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 – 8 6 . ▁ ▁Co ach ▁Bob ▁Johnson ▁discovered ▁his ▁n iche ▁when ▁he ▁had ▁Otto ▁shut ▁down ▁Marcel ▁D ion ne , ▁the ▁top ▁player ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Kings . ▁After ward , ▁Otto ▁was ▁consist ently ▁used ▁against ▁the ▁opposition ' s ▁top ▁line ▁where ▁he ▁used ▁his ▁size ▁and ▁face off ▁ability ▁to ▁his ▁advantage . ▁He ▁was ▁most ▁famous ▁for ▁shadow ing ▁Mark ▁Mess ier ▁of ▁the ▁Ed mont on ▁O ilers ▁when ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Al berta ▁reached ▁its ▁peak ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁Otto ▁later ▁remarked ▁that ▁Mess ier ▁was ▁the ▁reason ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁N HL , ▁as ▁the ▁Fl ames ▁needed ▁a ▁big ▁center ▁who ▁could ▁match ▁Mess ier ▁phys ically , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁face off ▁circle . ▁ ▁Johnson ▁also ▁used ▁Otto ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁opposition ▁net ▁to ▁screen ▁the ▁go alt ender . ▁He ▁strugg led ▁off ens ively ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 5 – 8 6 ▁season , ▁scoring ▁only ▁two ▁goals ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁but ▁as ▁he ▁grew ▁in ▁confidence ▁and ▁saw ▁increasing ▁ice ▁time , ▁his ▁off ense ▁improved . ▁ ▁Otto ▁finished ▁the ▁season ▁with ▁ 2 5 ▁goals ▁and ▁ 5 9 ▁points . ▁ ▁He ▁added ▁ 5 ▁goals ▁and ▁ 1 5 ▁points ▁in ▁the ▁play offs ▁as