Notes before Season Opener

Ishad

Registered User
Jun 2, 2010
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Take AA off the 2nd unit and add Bertuzzi for the net front.
This feels like a make or break year for AA and the organization. We’re going to suck anyway, so let’s give him every shot to see what he can do.
 

Dotter

THE ATHLETIC IS GARBAGE
Jul 2, 2014
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This feels like a make or break year for AA and the organization. We’re going to suck anyway, so let’s give him every shot to see what he can do.

Fine. But Wings need a net-front guy. And Mantha has to be on the PP. Though I'd rather lil' Bert as the net guy... Mantha is the next guy in line for that job if RAS is the #1 guy and Bert is sitting.
 

theYman

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Feb 28, 2008
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Where's Ehn gonna play?? We only have one roster spot opened with Z's retirement. And Blashill said he's gonna play Thursday. Is Ras gonna sit out? Or will it be Frk?
 

Oddbob

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Jan 21, 2016
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No way Rasmussen makes the team, only to sit in the pressbox, makes no sense at all! If he was going to be an extra forward, he would have been sent back to the W! Frk or someone else clearly sits. As far as PP goes, both Vanek and Mantha should be on PP #1, as Bertuzzi has done nothing to suggest he is better than them, and in all fairness to Ras (rookie), he hasn't put up Mantha's offense yet, so Mantha should be on the #1 unit.
 
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ricky0034

Registered User
Jun 8, 2010
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No way Rasmussen makes the team, only to sit in the pressbox, makes no sense at all! If he was going to be an extra forward, he would have been sent back to the W! Frk or someone else clearly sits. As far as PP goes, both Vanek and Mantha should be on PP #1, as Bertuzzi has done nothing to suggest he is better than them, and in all fairness to Ras (rookie), he hasn't put up Mantha's offense yet, so Mantha should be on the #1 unit.

as far as the units thing goes I wouldn't get too caught up on what they're called if that's what they end up being

they can call them whatever they want it doesn't change the fact that Mantha's on the stronger unit,give me the unit with Vanek and Nielsen over the one with Larkin and Nyquist any day
 

SCD

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Apr 8, 2018
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He's signed for two years at $3 million per. They'll only deal him when it's time to lock him up long term.

They will deal him when the return package is right. There is no time table for a trade.
 

TatarTangle

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Sep 28, 2011
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I don't mean this in a disrespectful way but I'd willing to bet a lot of you have never played against men of Mantha or Rasmussen's stature as a goalie. I have. It's not easy. Stopping Mantha's shot isn't as difficult compared to having those guys in front, ready to pounce on rebounds from shots you inevitably can't see because they take away your entire field of vision.

That being said, I don't see why Mantha shouldn't at least try the halfboard on the PP. In my eyes, this should be an entire season of experimentation
 

TheOtherOne

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Jan 2, 2010
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Gosh this "Manta net front lol" meme is getting pretty old. It's like you guys would prefer to put our least-skilled player there and just have him stand still for 2 minutes. It doesn't hurt to have a good player play net front and be effective at it!
 

Heaton

Moderator
Feb 13, 2004
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Gosh this "Manta net front lol" meme is getting pretty old. It's like you guys would prefer to put our least-skilled player there and just have him stand still for 2 minutes. It doesn't hurt to have a good player play net front and be effective at it!

I just think it shows a lack of creativity by management. Vanek has proven to be an elite net-front player, so it makes sense to put him there. Mantha is our best goal scorer, I think it would be beneficial to try him in other areas.
 
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Hammettf2b

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Jul 9, 2012
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Not gonna lie, I was pretty excited seeing Mantha not in the net front role on the pp the game I watched. I wanted to see him shoot the puck more. BUT, I don't hate him being the net front guy. He's good at it.
 

Henkka

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Jan 31, 2004
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Tampere, Finland
I just think it shows a lack of creativity by management. Vanek has proven to be an elite net-front player, so it makes sense to put him there. Mantha is our best goal scorer, I think it would be beneficial to try him in other areas.

All games I have watched making my own stats, Vanek is usually the most creative player on power-play, assists most quality chances.
 
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Lazlo Hollyfeld

The jersey ad still sucks
Mar 4, 2004
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Needs to be quoted since everyone continues to tar-and-feather Blashill when Bylsma runs the power play.

People are so consumed with hate towards the guy they'll blame him for cancer, world hunger, and global warming.

Blashill is the head coach and ultimately responsible for all aspects of coaching strategy.

That being said our PP sucked so I’m up for trying everything. And because of Manthas size and hands I don’t think it’s insane to have him at the net front.
 

Hammettf2b

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Jul 9, 2012
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Blashill is the head coach and ultimately responsible for all aspects of coaching strategy.

That being said our PP sucked so I’m up for trying everything. And because of Manthas size and hands I don’t think it’s insane to have him at the net front.

I think thats why some ppl wanted a change with Mantha's role.
 

Ezekial

Cheap Pizza, Bad Hockey
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I thought our PP had more trouble breaking in and setting up in the zone than actually executing the play during the PP.
Early on in the season they were pretty good once they got set up, but I felt like as the season went on it was getting set up that was the problem.
 

Henkka

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
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I thought our PP had more trouble breaking in and setting up in the zone than actually executing the play during the PP.
Early on in the season they were pretty good once they got set up, but I felt like as the season went on it was getting set up that was the problem.

Agree with this. Because we haven't played much puckpossession anymore, that usually makes PP zone-entries harder. There no routine to enter the zone with puck, when you are used to dump it all the time.

This has happened in other teams which have changed playing styles. When puckpossession and Zone-entries are in you backbone also at 5-on-5, making a zone-entry on PP becomes as easy as eating peanuts.

Larkin and Athanasiou should be the main guys doing that and split on two units. Also Cholowski looks great on entries, no matter what the system is we use. We should have better tools for those things now if they use them right.

Lacking Right-handed shooters imo is the biggest need currently, imo. All the threats are lefties on the right side, or point shots. It's easier for opposite PK units to play these threats away. We need threats on all sides of the Zone, to once have as great power-play as some units with Yzerman, Shanny and Hull were. Getting a right-shooting natural scorer guy like Cozens from next draft would be cruicial change for future PP. Or a playmaker like Dach, wouldn't mind him either.
 

Henkka

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Jan 31, 2004
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Ice-times on preseason:

Forwards:
C Dylan Larkin 20:10
C Andreas Athanasiou 19:34
C Frans Nielsen 17:44
RW Anthony Mantha 17:43
LW Michael Rasmussen 16:59
(LW Jussi Jokinen 16:40)
RW Gustav Nyquist 16:38
LW Darren Helm 16:32
RW Justin Abdelkader 16:22
LW Thomas Vanek 16:13
LW Tyler Bertuzzi 16:13
RW Filip Zadina 15:32
C Luke Glendening 15:15
RW Martin Frk 14:22
C Joe Veleno 14:07
C Dominic Turgeon 14:03
C Christoffer Ehn 13:25
LW Givani Smith 13:07
RW Evgeny Svechnikov 13:04
RW Matt Puempel 11:49
C Wade Megan 11:24
LW Chris Terry 11:21
RW Luke Witkowski 8:46
LW David Pope 7:46

Defencemen:
Dennis Cholowski 21:45
Joe Hicketts 21:17
Libor Sulak 19:58
Jonathan Ericsson 19:10
Filip Hronek 18:49
Niklas Kronwall 18:19
Trevor Daley 18:16
Vili Saarijärvi 18:15
Danny DeKeyser 17:54
Nick Jensen 17:19

Chelios, McIlrath and Hamilton off from comparison.
 
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Henkka

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
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12,078
Tampere, Finland
PK Icetimes:
----------------------
Luke Glendening, 3:05
Justin Abdelkader, 2:54
Darren Helm, 2:36
Jussi Jokinen, 2:31
Christoffer Ehn, 2:28
Frans Nielsen, 2:25
Dominic Turgeon, 2:21
Andreas Athanasiou, 2:16
Dylan Larkin, 2:06
Michael Rasmussen, 1:09
Givani Smith, 0:40

Joe Hicketts, 3:10
Dan DeKeyser, 3:09
Libor Sulak, 2:38
Dennis Cholowski, 2:30
Trevor Daley, 2:28
Nick Jensen, 2:19
Filip Hronek, 1:45
Vili Saarijärvi, 1:28
Niklas Kronwall, 1:18

PP icetimes:
-------------------
Michael Rasmussen, 4:14
Tyler Bertuzzi, 3:45
Gustav Nyquist, 3:37
Niklas Kronwall, 3:33
Anthony Mantha, 3:16
Dennis Cholowski, 3:15
Frans Nielsen, 3:15
Dylan Larkin, 3:05
Andreas Athanasiou, 2:24
Filip Zadina, 2:11
Thomas Vanek, 2:10
Jussi Jokinen, 1:58
Joe Veleno, 1:46
Filip Hronek, 1:36
Martin Frk, 1:33
Evgeny Svechnikov, 1:26
Givani Smith, 1:17
Darren Helm, 0:54
Vili Saarijärvi, 0:52
Justin Abdelkader, 0:39
 
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Perfect Human

Registered User
Dec 17, 2014
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Bertuzzi-Larkin-Mantha
Nyquist-AA-Vanek
Abdelkader-Neilesn-Rasmussen
Ehn-Glendenning-Helm

Does this look right???
 

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