GDT: Red Wings @ Coyotes | 10:00 EST | FSD

[Redder Winger]

A few thoughts:
* Glendening's goal was a beauty. That was the best play I've seen Larkin make in a long, long, long time. Great to see him skate and make a play like that.
* Still not sold on Larkin as a center. Two assists is nice. The second assist was a beauty. The first assist was a broken play.
* Mantha, but for two shots, was really quiet. He played 13 minutes and change. Expect his next contract negotiation to be rocky.
* Frk shoots hard. Makes you wonder how he was waived. Makes you wonder why Pulkkinen isn't doing this somewhere in the NHL. Frk would be in GR right now if Athanasiou was around and Bertuzzi was healthy. Sometimes, players need opportunities. Guys like Frk and Pulkkinen need powerplay time.
* Good game for Ericsson after a stinker the previous game.
* Nick Jensen is not an NHL defenseman. He gets ragdolled and overpowered too often.
* XO is a solid and unspectacular depth defenseman.
* Howard reminds me a little of Osgood. Started his career well. Went into the tank. He's come back calm and relaxed. He doesn't look he's having panic attacks. Will be interesting to see how his play holds up when he faces a team with skill and shooters.
* Coyotes have a great blueline but awful group of forwards. Boy wonder GM apparently doesn't think center icemen are important to winning.

 

[SirloinUB]

A few thoughts:
* Coyotes have a great blueline but awful group of forwards. Boy wonder GM apparently doesn't think center icemen are important to winning.

He traded for Stepan during the summer

 

[Ezekial]

Pulkkinen has ~161 PP minutes in his career and has 2 goals. He got plenty of opportunity. Martin Frk has almost 10 minutes of career PP time.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

A few thoughts:
* Glendening's goal was a beauty. That was the best play I've seen Larkin make in a long, long, long time. Great to see him skate and make a play like that.
* Still not sold on Larkin as a center. Two assists is nice. The second assist was a beauty. The first assist was a broken play.
* Mantha, but for two shots, was really quiet. He played 13 minutes and change. Expect his next contract negotiation to be rocky.
* Frk shoots hard. Makes you wonder how he was waived. Makes you wonder why Pulkkinen isn't doing this somewhere in the NHL. Frk would be in GR right now if Athanasiou was around and Bertuzzi was healthy. Sometimes, players need opportunities. Guys like Frk and Pulkkinen need powerplay time.
* Good game for Ericsson after a stinker the previous game.
* Nick Jensen is not an NHL defenseman. He gets ragdolled and overpowered too often.
* XO is a solid and unspectacular depth defenseman.
* Howard reminds me a little of Osgood. Started his career well. Went into the tank. He's come back calm and relaxed. He doesn't look he's having panic attacks. Will be interesting to see how his play holds up when he faces a team with skill and shooters.
* Coyotes have a great blueline but awful group of forwards. Boy wonder GM apparently doesn't think center icemen are important to winning.

He traded for Stepan, this is Strome and Keller's first year. Like, this is a really, really young group of forwards that they're cobbling together. Can't knock Dubas yet.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Howard good, everything else bad.

Gotta love how pumped up he was after Glenny scored! Howard is a true competitor. The team sucks and Howie keeps it a game.

 

[DetroitRed]

It was the whole period, Abby was doing a lot of weird rotating in the third. He took shifts with Hank and Tats, Nielsen and Helm, even Glenny and Sheahan at even strength.

What's frustrating is PP2 is our stronger unit and they got the one shift all game on the PP, the goal. That's horse ****.

I watched that game twice. I think you gotta go back and watch the third if you think that, because I honestly didn't see it happen at all, and I feel sure it didn't happen every shift Mantha and Larkin had in the last period. I honestly don't think so.

Anyway, yeah, the PP2 is the better unit...just like the 2nd line was their best even strength line. Actually, that 2nd PP unit is the one with Frk, Mantha and Larkin. Those three guys have more goals than the entire rest of the team put together.

 

[Ezekial]

I watched that game twice. I think you gotta go back and watch the third if you think that, because I honestly didn't see it happen at all, and I feel sure it didn't happen every shift Mantha and Larkin had in the last period. I honestly don't think so.

Anyway, yeah, the PP2 is the better unit...just like the 2nd line was their best even strength line. Actually, that 2nd PP unit is the one with Frk, Mantha and Larkin. Those three guys have more goals than the entire rest of the team put together.

I said something during the game after the first Frk-Larkin-Mantha shift in the third. Idk I made a mental note of his rotation, I wouldn't make it up for any reason.

Hopefully that was the showing of the end of Abby with Larkin and Mantha.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I can't find any youtube videos with the slo-mo Frk shot in the replay to make a gif of it and it's starting to really annoy me.

How to not play D 101

I know he's trying to cover for his defenseman but that is some serious olé defense by Domi there.

 

[Run the Jewels]

What's with these "Mantha is dumb, is like the Mule" posts?

I don't get it, like at all.

I never called him dumb. I said I can understand using him as a net front guy as that's a high percentage area for scoring goals and he has very good reflexes and a very quick release. He's not a tip it guy like Homer, he's a big guy who will get loads of scoring chances in tight while opening up ice for other guys. He doesn't have a cannon like Frk where you have him set up outside the circles to load up and let er rip.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Pulkkinen has ~161 PP minutes in his career and has 2 goals. He got plenty of opportunity. Martin Frk has almost 10 minutes of career PP time.

He definitely got plenty of opportunity. It became pretty apparent he just couldn't get that cannon of a shot off and on net at the NHL level.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I never called him dumb. I said I can understand using him as a net front guy as that's a high percentage area for scoring goals and he has very good reflexes and a very quick release. He's not a tip it guy like Homer, he's a big guy who will get loads of scoring chances in tight while opening up ice for other guys. He doesn't have a cannon like Frk where you have him set up outside the circles to load up and let er rip.

Others have said that.

 

[DetroitRed]

I said something during the game after the first Frk-Larkin-Mantha shift in the third. Idk I made a mental note of his rotation, I wouldn't make it up for any reason.

I'm not saying you made it up. Hey, I'll take your word for it that they were together at some point in the third, but I think that the very first Larkin-Mantha shift of the third period had Abby on it, and after like the tenth minute, the lines got pretty mixed up, at which point I paid pretty close attention to who was with who - didn't see it then either. So, my guess is that it happened on their second shift if it happened, but that again, obviously would have been only about a minute.

 

[Claypool]

Just wanted to illustrate how close that 2-on-1 was from being offsides. I thought Phoenix was going to challenge it. Looks like it still would have counted, though. Can't believe Glenda almost screwed that one up.

 

[Frk It]

I never called him dumb. I said I can understand using him as a net front guy as that's a high percentage area for scoring goals and he has very good reflexes and a very quick release. He's not a tip it guy like Homer, he's a big guy who will get loads of scoring chances in tight while opening up ice for other guys. He doesn't have a cannon like Frk where you have him set up outside the circles to load up and let er rip.

Mantha does have a pretty big point shot and one timer though. Honestly he could fill a number of roles on the PP. He's a talented player. I'm pretty sure he was used on the point on the PP either in GR or in the Q at times.

Also it's not necessarily a "waste" for Mantha to be used net front (not directed at you, I've seen this a few times now). Good net front players will cycle in and out and go behind the net. Franzen always did this. Not everyone stands there like a statue like Homer did. And even Homer when he was younger was a good puck retriever.

 

[Ezekial]

I know he's trying to cover for his defenseman but that is some serious olé defense by Domi there.

I mean the one thing you gotta do with Larkin is take away his speed, he just opened the ice for him.

I'm not saying you made it up. Hey, I'll take your word for it that they were together at some point in the third, but I think that the very first Larkin-Mantha shift of the third period had Abby on it, and after like the tenth minute, the lines got pretty mixed up, at which point I paid pretty close attention to who was with who - didn't see it then either. So, my guess is that it happened on their second shift if it happened, but that again, obviously would have been only about a minute.

I just cycled through the third quickly and you were right Frk only had 2-3 shifts with them that I could see, was a really weird mashup of lines throughout.

I was watching both this game and the cubs game last night so this game was only getting most of my attention, not all. The funny part was both teams won at about the same time and were both slapping hands on my TVs at the same time.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Good net front players will cycle in and out and go behind the net. Franzen always did this. Not everyone stands there like a statue like Homer did. And even Homer when he was younger was a good puck retriever.

Yeah, and that is an area where Mantha should be able to hold his own. It's funny that some consider the comparison to Mule as an insult. It's far from that, Franzen was once a very good power forward.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Yeah, and that is an area where Mantha should be able to hold his own. It's funny that some consider the comparison to Mule as an insult. It's far from that, Franzen was once a very good power forward.

I think it is reductionist. Mantha has tools that Franzen had, but he is a more talented player and has a higher ceiling. Or at the very least will be better for longer.

 

[DeYarmond Edison]

It's funny cause I'm not even old I'm only 26 and it's getting tough to stay up, when I was in high school/college though I could usually stay up for these west coast trips. Not anymore. What pisses me off though is if the Wings weren't on and I'd wanted to go to sleep I wouldn't be able to and would be watching adult swim or sitcom reruns all night aha.

I'm 26 as well so I get it haha

 

[Dotter]

The only knock I had towards Mule was he was consistently inconsistent. I think Mantha is more of a goal scorer. Mule, believe it or not, was a much better 2 way guy and a better power forward.

I miss Mule.