News Article: Red Wings' Mantha, Athanasiou respond to 'poke-and-hope' criticism

[TheMule93]

Red Wings' Mantha, Athanasiou respond to 'poke-and-hope' criticism

Friday morning saw Anthony Mantha admit just how bad he’d been the night before, when, after a 4-0 loss to Vegas, captain Henrik Zetterberg said there was too much poke-and-hope in some teammates, that they need to learn to play the right way. Zetterberg didn’t name names but the criticism fit Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou in particular, and Mantha owned it immediately.

“Oh for sure,” he (Mantha) said after an optional skate at Nationwide Arena Friday. “It wasn’t a good game for me. I made two big mistakes and it’s in the back of our net. I need to be sharper.”

Athanasiou, who was on for the first and fourth goals, acknowledged a need to heed Zetterberg’s criticism.

“He’s talking to us as a group,” Athanasiou said. “Any time you have someone like that speaking out, it’s a little bit of a message to make sure you’re ready for the next one. If there’s one play where you can bear down a little more, it’s going to make a huge difference."

Glad to see Mantha personally own up to it, AA responded in a more general sense, still better than nothing though. Hope they take the criticism to heart.

Click to read more...

 

[Winger98]

I just read that article, too. Good comments, now to see how they actually respond. The kids are going to screw up but we need to see them pick their game up and overcome those mistakes. And we need to see the team willing to keep putting them over the boards.

 

[datsyukfan]

Change the system and stop playing stretch (hope) hockey and this won’t be even close to an issue. Maybe it appears are wingers are poking at pucks because every pass they receive in the d-zone is a rim. Turnovers turn into goals because the other 2 forwards blow the zone. Blashill try to have everyone back and support the puck and I bet we do way better

 

[Hammettf2b]

At least they are owning up to it.

 

[TheRatPoisoner]

Assuming this is the kind of thing Z is talking about

 

[jkutswings]

At least they are owning up to it.

Considering the article references Blashill saying that it wasn't just the young guys making mistakes, it would be nice to hear a veteran owning up to it as well.

*cough* Green-is-a-turnstyle *cough*

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Red Wings' Mantha, Athanasiou respond to 'poke-and-hope' criticism



Glad to see Mantha personally own up to it, AA responded in a more general sense, still better than nothing though. Hope they take the criticism to heart.

They said the right things and seem to be handling it the way we would hope, with maturity and gravity.
I wish the other players who were bagging it would fess up as well - it's not only on those two and I'm sure Z didn't intend it for only those two.

 

[Heaton]

The problem with these comments is that it puts all of the blame on the young players, basically saying they're the reason this team is bad. The Wings are the oldest team in the league, replace Mantha and AA with two old washed up players and this team is worse.

With that said, they deserve to be held accountable, but so do the veterans, who are absolved of all blame.

 

[TheMule93]

the criticism is focused on young players because all the vets are what they are. Young players can keep improving, and are the most important part of the team. People are most critical of them because they care about them more than the vets.

 

[Redder Winger]

Red Wings' Mantha, Athanasiou respond to 'poke-and-hope' criticism



Glad to see Mantha personally own up to it, AA responded in a more general sense, still better than nothing though. Hope they take the criticism to heart.

It's bullshit that AA was even included by HSJ
He's not been bad defensively lately.

 

[chris05]

Not to many Fans watching the entire 3rd period. That should be of great concern to ownership $$$$$$$$$ lost revenue. you are going to need more than 1 drink in order to be able to watch 20 minute a night guys (#71) produce nothing game in and game out.
So what 39 had 1 bad game great leadership stepping up and throwing him under the bus. This is a cap team blaming a minimum wage player.
71 is still wearing Nylander ,Konecny and Laine Jock strap around his neck and many more not to mention a major contributor with poor play in ending a 26 year play off run. On a more serious issue this coach Blashill is getting out coached game in and game out which equates to many empty seats.
​

 

[jkutswings]

the criticism is focused on young players because all the vets are what they are. Young players can keep improving, and are the most important part of the team. People are most critical of them because they care about them more than the vets.

I can agree that Mantha needs to improve, and care more about him than Mike Green...

... And still feel that Green pulling a beer league move of a line change leading to a breakaway is unacceptable, to the extent that it deserves public criticism.

 

[Ezekial]

I can agree that Mantha needs to improve, and care more about him than Mike Green...

... And still feel that Green pulling a beer league move of a line change leading to a breakaway is unacceptable, to the extent that it deserves public criticism.

It was pathetic but I think he didn't wanna get a too many men call, I mean he looked directly at the puck. Problem was, guy changing with him saw the play and waited to jump on till Green was on the bench. Could've/should've played it.

 

[datsyukfan]

It was pathetic but I think he didn't wanna get a too many men call, I mean he looked directly at the puck. Problem was, guy changing with him saw the play and waited to jump on till Green was on the bench. Could've/should've played it.

That’s just communication then Kronwall should have just yelled stay

 

[kliq]

Red Wings' Mantha, Athanasiou respond to 'poke-and-hope' criticism



Glad to see Mantha personally own up to it, AA responded in a more general sense, still better than nothing though. Hope they take the criticism to heart.

100% agree. Glad to see Mantha take ownership, thats so important in a young player.

AA did but he didn't, he sort accepted it, but also sort of deflected it onto the entire team. At least he didn't get defensive.

 

[Red Stanley]

Considering the article references Blashill saying that it wasn't just the young guys making mistakes, it would be nice to hear a veteran owning up to it as well.

*cough* Green-is-a-turnstyle *cough*

Green didn't even poke. There was zero hope there.

 

[Red Stanley]

Not to many Fans watching the entire 3rd period. That should be of great concern to ownership $$$$$$$$$ lost revenue. you are going to need more than 1 drink in order to be able to watch 20 minute a night guys (#71) produce nothing game in and game out.
So what 39 had 1 bad game great leadership stepping up and throwing him under the bus. This is a cap team blaming a minimum wage player.
71 is still wearing Nylander ,Konecny and Laine Jock strap around his neck and many more not to mention a major contributor with poor play in ending a 26 year play off run. On a more serious issue this coach Blashill is getting out coached game in and game out which equates to many empty seats.
​

Yes, the 21 year-old with 49 points (incidentally most on the team) in 67 games produces nothing and is a big problem. Cut his ice time pronto.

P.S. Nylander has 50 points in 68 games and Konecny has 37 in 67.

 

[kliq]

I'm not sure why some people get upset about a captain calling out younger players. He's not doing it to be "unfair", he's doing it because these kids are young, and impressionable. Them learning to play the right way is imperative to the future of this organization.

They are called out because they are more important right now then the vets. I don't want to see Zetterberg wasting his time trying to improve the play of Helm, Green or Kronwall. If we were legit contenders, different story. But we are not.

 

[Shaman464]

It's bull**** that AA was even included by HSJ
He's not been bad defensively lately.

He's been the same dumpster fire on defense he always was. Don't pretend he's gotten much better. And like always its not that he doesn't have the talent to be good defensively, but he gives up on plays 9 times out of 10. This is doubly bad because he has the speed where he can press a player defensively and get beaten and still be able to recover. Instead he keeps falling back waiting for the turnover so he can try to break away or he's at the blue line taking it easy.

 

[Grimm]

Honestly, I feel like this is a product of the way these kids are brought up these days. There's no hitting and hard forechecking and hard back checking. This speed speed speed stretch pass stretch stretch stretch shit has just wanted run and gun. Guys don't learn how to effectively use the body (whether it's offensive or defensive) and with all the head contact and social media spinning physical hockey into something bad, it's just not taught these days. So you get a bunch of soft players who "poke" at the puck and offensively "float" around waiting for that home run pass. It's a different breed and I don't believe its just on the DRW either.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

The problem with these comments is that it puts all of the blame on the young players, basically saying they're the reason this team is bad. The Wings are the oldest team in the league, replace Mantha and AA with two old washed up players and this team is worse.

With that said, they deserve to be held accountable, but so do the veterans, who are absolved of all blame.

This times 1000.

Hold young guys accountable but demand way better leadership from these so-called veterans that we pay to provide that very thing

 

[Frk It]

The problem with these comments is that it puts all of the blame on the young players, basically saying they're the reason this team is bad. The Wings are the oldest team in the league, replace Mantha and AA with two old washed up players and this team is worse.

With that said, they deserve to be held accountable, but so do the veterans, who are absolved of all blame.

It’s just a guy who was always a great 200 ft player calling out guys who aren’t.

A lot of the vets are turds but they aren’t noticeably different as far as their effort with and without the puck. Mantha and AA like having it, but they don’t care about getting it back some nights. That’s gonna piss off a guy who was up for the Selke every year.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I can agree that Mantha needs to improve, and care more about him than Mike Green...

... And still feel that Green pulling a beer league move of a line change leading to a breakaway is unacceptable, to the extent that it deserves public criticism.

To be fair Blashill twice blasted that change publicly. In fact in his first run through he blew up the change before the turnover. Said the turnover was bad but the change was awful. He didn't exactly absolve Green of blame and he made sure that point was made in his recap. Actually was a refreshing Blashill blasted a vet. Now he should have crushed Kronwall for the first as well... So that is the imbalance we are talking about.

Good for Mantha to own it. But it has happened too often this year, he needs to get better and he needs to think long and hard about how.

AA's minutes are generally what he earns. Still it would be nice if when he wasn't electric AA he wasn't hot garbage. He is one of the most inconsistent players I have ever seen at the NHL level.

 

[TheMule93]

Well they didnt really back up their words, though Z went out and had a great game again

 

[Redder Winger]

100% agree. Glad to see Mantha take ownership, thats so important in a young player.

AA did but he didn't, he sort accepted it, but also sort of deflected it onto the entire team. At least he didn't get defensive.

AA didn't shit the bed like Mantha last night.
He's probably thing, "What the f***? I even get thrown under the bus when other guys suck."