jammer2 Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 The long awaited arrival of a key piece of the future Wings will become the present a few days before Christmas....pun intended. Should be interesting to see how he fits in the Wings, line placement etc. How would you like to be Jurco or Jokim Anderson right about now? Both were basically singled out by Wings coach Blaishill....and encouraged both the play better on Friday, the loser of this little competition will be sent down to make room for Mantha, making Fridays game one to watch. http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2015/12/17/detroit-red-wings-prospects/77488140/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 @jammer2 So was that saying Mantha is coming up or Athanasiou? Sounded like it could be either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 @flyercanuck I think they are saying it might be either, but from the way it's worded, Mantha might have the inside track just because they already got a sneak peak of Athanasiou. It might just be a 10 game thing, to get his feet wet, or if Anthonyl excles, maybe a longer stay. I believe we will see Athanasiou before it's all said and done this year, but he has only played 6 games, which keeps his rookie season into next year and does not burn a year of elegibility. That may pay a role, the Wings org seems to be very aware of that kinda stuff. Everything is part of a grand plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 Mantha would be a different kind of animal if allowed to play his game, a goal scorer with zero other qualities to his game, not a typical Wing, but we need something right now, a game changer. I believe that with Pavel or Z setting him up or even the crafty vet Richards that he would bring something to the table that we haven't had Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpikeDDS Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 @yave1964@jammer2@flyercanuckSurprisingly, they called up Nosek, and neither AA or Mantha. Perhaps they are wanting to see what they actually have?I dunno. Right now, our PP needs help! Mantha might fit the bill. Nosek was supposedly brought up because he can kill penalties. Right now, our PP units are killing their penalties! Particularly in the 3rd. I think they showed the stat that with a 1-goal lead in the 3rd, our PP is 0 for 12 this season! No wonder we are third in the league for worst goal differential for the last 10 minutes of regulation. (We were 1st until Abby scored that ENer.) To me, Mantha fits the bill better. Perhaps AA. But Nosek? ?Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 @SpikeDDS I'm partial to AA because he was a Barrie Colt, but Mantha is as good of a player. Athansiou can sure put on the afterburners though. Both can score. Hows Nastasiuk doing? He's actually from Barrie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 @SpikeDDS@flyercanuck Nastasiuk has been up and down between Toledo and Grand Rapids, still looks a bit lost at the AHL level but has occasionally shown signs of being a prospect. As for Nosek, he is a defensive forward who can score occasionally. Really, he is a player who fits the bill of what we are in need of especially with Miller being out. He brings the extra of being a center who wins more than his share of faceoffs as well. Jurco and Andersson are players who are playing the bottom pair because they have to have someone there, Nosek being recalled looks to be part of a plan. Nosek is a guy who playing ten minutes a night in a shut down role will do it as well as Glendening, in fact he kind of reminds me of him, put him at center or wing, Take tough faceoffs. Occasionally he can encroach into the other end and surprise the other team but he is not a real offensive threat. In truth as much as I would love to see AA or Mantha at the NHL level to see what pizzaz they could bring but the truth is a player like Nosek is what we need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 @yave1964 I can see the Wings packaging a few prospects together to address any weakness at the trade deadline. I can see Jurco going with perhaps Bertuzzi and or Marchenko or Xavier Ouellette....something like that...a 3 for 1 deal for an established star that would help push the pp over the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 @yave1964 Maybe you can answer this for me. I have only caught 4-5 Wings games so far this season. Is it just when I watch? or is Larkin being used wrong on the PP. Currently they have him in front screening and looking to pick up the garbage every time I see him on the PP. I would suspect his wheelhouse would be more in the Ovechkin/Stamkos "drift to the hashmarks from the point area to better use his shot and skating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 @yave1964 Maybe you can answer this for me. I have only caught 4-5 Wings games so far this season. Is it just when I watch? or is Larkin being used wrong on the PP. Currently they have him in front screening and looking to pick up the garbage every time I see him on the PP. I would suspect his wheelhouse would be more in the Ovechkin/Stamkos "drift to the hashmarks from the point area to better use his shot and skating.He leads the entire league in plus/minus which I know is a category that can be overvalued but the Wings are essentially even in goal differential so in his case it actually is relevant. A great five on five player. The first team power play is Z, Nyquist, Green, Kronwall and Abdelkader, Larkin is getting second team PP minutes with Datsyuk, Richards and Dekeyser and Tatar, completely being misused, IMHO. He is close to irrelevant on the power play and until he gets moved to the top line I don't see that changing. The problem is, Nyquist is the new Franzen, his only real value is the power play, and he is very good in that role. Abdelkader is a garbage man and has turned into one of the leagues best at setting up camp in front of the net, Zetterberg is a Detroit icon but is slipping, but he is not going to get bumped. To me, I would like to see Larkin move to the first team power play and move Kronwall down to the second with only one d-man on the first team that being Green who is slipping a bit but can still move the puck. I would have Larkin on the point for now, as Nyquist does a great job playing the Ovie/Stamkos role for the Wings, but running the left point and pinching in, he would be even ore deadly than he already has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old School Hockey Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Can they bring up someone who play fu@*king defense in 3rd period?!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraycraven Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Mantha, Mantha Mantha - Mario99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 @yave1964 Suddenly, I care whether Larkin gets used on the top pp or not.... . It looks like he did get moved to the top pp in the last game they just played. Don't know if it's a permanent thing, but a step in the right direction I'd say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 @Old School Hockey AMEN!! Again, that is why they have brought up Nosek, defense and penalty killing is his specialty. He will take the pressure off a bit. As much as I would like to see Mantha or Athanasiou what we need is a shut down guy which is more Nosek's game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 @yave1964 Suddenly, I care whether Larkin gets used on the top pp or not.... . It looks like he did get moved to the top pp in the last game they just played. Don't know if it's a permanent thing, but a step in the right direction I'd say.The thing that drove me crazy was seeing him being used trying to screen the goalie and pick up garbage. I knew he was amazing at ES already, but seeing him being used in a role that does not suit him drove me a bit bonkers. Ovechkin man's the left point on the PP and drifts into that magic area that him and Stamkos love blasting one timers from. That is what I think Larkin should be doing with his fluidity and shot. But what do I know. I ain't the coach lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.