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First game of the new year! Bertuzzi's here to stay and Mantha's ready to return: https://www.nhl.com/redwings/news/notes-red-wings-realize-january-will-be-the-telltale-month/c-294584212 HYPE! LGRW

End of 1st. Wings lead 1-0. Mantha-Athanasiou-Frk line looking really good. Mantha and AA have undeniable chemistry.

I like AA and Mantha together Makes the most absurd 4th line around as well.

AA What a sweet butt ass-goal!

Ok I can agree with preservation for the starter due to his age and decreasing that number from 65 to 55 ish. As you can tell I'm not in favor of (and I don't think the organization is either) the idea of giving someone a "String of starts" "just because". Unless of course it was very clear that this is a tandem and not a clear cut starter-backup scenario. This entire goalie situation with Mrazek may be similar to how they didn't increase the young forwards ice time until they started earning it and consistently performed. Maybe Mrazek (because of his years of issues now) has suddenly become a long term project, or it could be what I'm thinking - which is preventing his value from getting worse. We don't know. Also keep in mind that this is Holland. He still thinks we have a shot at playoffs (which theoretically we likely do). So all the more reason to keep rolling Howard from his POV.

This friggin guy has had like 5 breakaways tonight, including a penalty shot!! Gotta have more than one

Jimmy fricking Howard!!! NIce save.

No no no, you raved about his advanced stats being superior while he was in the league. It didn't translate in the end.

See you later should have like 2 hat tricks himself. Infinite chances in that 2nd period

`Mantha and Frk with the assists. Karlsson is lazy and he sux.

I have in the past. Back in the days where I played with an Axe.

Lay off the blue meth, my dude.

Geno has 3 goals in the last 2 games. Lets hope he is starting to warm up! Still 40ish games left in GR's season. Love to see him get to 20+ by the end of the year. He has 5 atm IIRC. 15 in 40 or so is doable for a guy with his talent. But if he stays hot for a while bringing him to Detroit after the deadline would also be good. Get him 20ish NHL games to get a better judge of where he is at development wise.

Or it could be this too.

MFW I see we're playing a divisional rival I know we stand a good chance against

I guess that is where people disagree. He had a few awful games (3-4 maybe) but I think he's been pretty good elsewhere. The regular backup role usually plays more than Mrazek has. Howard has played 32 games - that's 2nd in the league. That's a lot for any starter. He's on pace for getting 65 starts this year (based on 30 starts or 69 GP if you count games he started in but not started). That's more than he's ever played. Even his best years or when we had Conklin s***ting the bed as a backup (in his 2nd stint) he didn't play this much. Usually the work load is split a bit more. Mrazek could stand just a few more starts here and there. That's all I'm saying. Even if it's for Howard's preservation - he is injury prone by everyone's admission and he's 33 and we'll need to not run him into the ground if he's our guy for the next few years. And, yes, there is the possibility of drawing trade interest or Mrazek making a case for coming back on a smaller deal. It's good for everyone.

False. You were wrong Pulkinnen. I haven't heard you admit defeat yet. Why should a backup get more starts? A backups role is to be the backup. More starts (like you suggest) assumes something else then. It's less than halfway through the season and he's played 11 games. If this plays out he ends up playing 22-25 games. That's probably around what backups usually play. Maybe even less actually.

All that information aside though like I said he’s the only one among the top scorers that’s in his first WHL season. All the other top 7 ahead have been playing in the league a few years. Most of the others are not much ahead by the way (a point or two) and some have played more games.

Not even close. Smith was an idiot. Cholowski is a smart player, not super highly skilled but uses his brains and works hard. We'll see, I'm not high on him yet but I'm content so far.

As a rookie. The top 7 have been in the league longer. This is his first year.

In Holland we trust. #8 in scoring among league defensemen.

Some people say they can't believe, Jamaica we have a hockey team! https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/jamaica-s-hockey-team-aims-for-olympics-1.3412133 I also like that they have a website (joiht.org) that looks so much like joint.

Thought this was relevant

Well that was embarrassing. They turned that 4on4 into a PP - good on them ....But good PK so i guess it doesn't matter