do we lose his cap hit for those ten games? I mean, he's not getting paid for them.
The tap isn't the point, he engages a banned player leaving the ice twice.Tkachuk won't get suspended, it was only a love tap. I mean I know he did provoke Witkowski, but that did not merit more than what he already served in the game yesterday.
As for Witkowski, well, he did light a fire under the team, something I didn't see a lot of last year. It was some great Old Time hockey.
he has a meeting tomorrow, I guess. We'll see what actually comes of it.The tap isn't the point, he engages a banned player leaving the ice twice.
Looks like lashoff is getting called up
This is terrible news.
I was hoping for Hicketts to get his first look or Hronek. But I will admit I am a huge fan of playing 11 and 7 if it means AA and Larkin see more ice.
You all know I don't like seeing Lashoff at the NHL level at all. But I will say I am a big believer in the 11 and 7 experiment if it is the driving force in trying to really develop AA and Larkin. Blash last night even admitted that is a big driving thought behind going with it. That is great news, he is attempting to put more ice time to our young players and have them try to carry the team. Would like to see Mantha double shifted too occasionally but still the way we are using the 11 and 7 is something I support massively.
I watched all of the postgame last night just to hear mic'd up and I was really happy with what Blash had to say in regards to the kids and I've liked 11 + 7, it works well with how he seems to like to make rotations based on how the game is coming at them and how he sees a player playing that game.
He's given them a longer leash, as expected, and they're embracing it. AA is playing hard all the time, that's what he needs to do. Mantha's mental growth started a couple years ago and is really coming into fruition. Larkin is Larkin, he's a hard worker who seems to be the fast track candidate to captaincy.
I don't think Blash is gonna look back at this point.
If he does need to shake it up at some point I'd like to see him put Hank on Nielsen's wing and AA at 3C. Someone suggested that a couple weeks ago and it's intriguing to me.
Looks like lashoff is getting called up
Using the Nielsen checking line though I think allows him to leverage AA and Larkin better.
Blash's comments last night are basically what half this forum has been begging for. He said last year was about lessons at times. That he was hard on them because he wanted them to grow. Now they have and he is going to give them more responsibility and he is happy with it. He is feeding them big minutes, Mantha should have got a few more last night even before the fight but still. He was doing it against Columbus as well.
Listen Blash is coaching for his job this year. I am not surprised he has gone heavily towards the kids here lately they are playing the best. Nielsen and Z still do some heavy lifting defensively, but again he deployed Larkin against McDavid. He is challenging them and they are rising to that challenge. They look a lot better players this year, it could be some of what he is doing did in fact help these guys in terms of development... I know people will hate that.
It is a known thing at this point. The super friends even asked Zetterberg about it and he was all to happy to give them big props and talk about them driving the team right now.
What’s interesting is if people still want blash gone. Even if the young guys develop and the team plays well but still misses the playoffs. Could be this year or next but I think it’ll happen.