Dabura

The kids are alright.

I mostly agree with these assessments. Not surprising, as we seem to agree on most things. I've always believed Mantha has very real all-start potential. He's really starting to blossom this season, but Holland and Blashill would probably say he has to continue to grow and improve and find ever-higher levels of excellence...and I would agree with that. Teams aren't truly keying in on him yet, aren't gameplanning around shutting him down -- and they won't start doing so unless/until he has a big breakout season like Larkin did in his rookie campaign. So, even if he scores 30+ goals this season, he'll still have a lot to prove. It'll only open the door to the ultimate test, which is the challenge of scoring 30+ goals every year when you're a marked man on every single shift of every single game. The best of the best scorers are the ones who are guaranteed to put up a ton of points every season despite every player in the league actively wanting a piece of them. I would settle for Franzen 2.0, but I think if Mantha doesn't get complacent and/or suffocated by the attention and tight-checking of every team's best players (assuming he does enough to warrant such treatment), he can become one of the absolute best wingers in the league. I'm with you on Larkin needing to attack the net more. At the same time, it seems pretty clear that he's trying to grow as a playmaker and establish himself as a dependable two-way top-six NHL centerman, so I'm ok with him backing off on the dagger thrusts at this point in his development. AA is still trying to do too much on his own. I'd like to see him work the standard curl-back-and-pass into his zone entries more. Enter the zone with speed and force the D to back in, curl back along the wall and look to hit a speeding trailer with a pass. That's a high-level way of using speed to create space for yourself and your teammates. Being dangerously speedy isn't all about South-North play and getting around defensemen in one-on-one situations. I don't think AA is a stupid or selfish player, I think it's just a learning curve thing. He's used to being able to outskate people and deke them out, and he's used to that being enough to get the job done. At the NHL level, it isn't enough to get the job done. It took Datsyuk a few years to really put it all together. Svechnikov has to be better than he's been so far this season. Simple as that. To be fair, though, he's only 21 and he only has one AHL season under his belt and he's coming off of what I strongly suspect was a concussion and the Griffins are kind of a mess right now. His ceiling remains very high, IMO. I was thrilled that we were able to draft him so late in the first round and I'm still thrilled that he's ours. I think he's going to become a very good top-six winger. I've gone from being vehemently opposed to picking Rasmussen at #9 to being fully onboard the hype train. His training camp strongly suggests I was wrong and stupid to be so down on him. Like you, I'd like to see him putting up bigger numbers than the ones he's putting up this season, but I'm not sure that's in the cards, and I'm not sure that's necessarily a bad thing. Blashill and Holland have both indicated that Rasmussen is pretty much expected to become a full-time Red Wing within the next two years. That indication (coming from the Detroit Red Wings), coupled with the fact that Rasmussen isn't tearing the WHL apart, leads me to believe the Wings don't see him becoming a high-scoring 1C. I think they picked him for the power play prowess and the shutdown potential. I honestly feel his point totals in a lower league where everyone is smaller than him and where he seems to have a somewhat constricting role as "big guy who goes to the net" isn't of much concern to the Wings' brass. I think they just want the power play prowess and the two-way potential. Zetterberg's in the twilight of his career and Nielsen's 33. I think the Wings sort of see Rasmussen, in the short term, as a quick-fix plugin to help shore up an anticipated talent hole at the center position. In the long term, I think they want him to be a Martin Hanzal, i.e. a really big, really physical, really solid two-way 2C who can play in all situations and be hard-matched against top talent.

PK

PP

Bolts are spanking the Kings. After having spanked the Sharks last night. They are terrifying right now.

Four-goal third period for Mantha? Safe bet? Yes?

End of 2nd. Flames lead 5-3. That period was a thing that happened. Final score will be 9-8. Not sure which team comes out on top. Ericsson and Nielsen with the assists on the Mantha goal.

MANTHA! Three points for Mantha tonight.

Mostly bad D. Also a bit of regression to the mean in the we-can't-keep-counting-on-our-goalies-to-make-half-a-dozen-miraculous-saves-a-night department.

Flames score, because of course. 5-2. Jagr's first goal as a Flame, because of course.

Mantha and Green with the assists.

NIELSEN! Great play by Mantha!

Obligatory Smith pretends to be hurt moment.

Goal stands. PP

Flames score, because of course. 4-1. Under review? High stick? That one's on Frk. Bad turnover behind the net. Wings challenge. Goalie interference.

Nyquist has to shoot on that 2-on-1. Shoot for a rebound, hope the other man buries it.

Mantha and Larkin with the assists.

FRK! PPG!

PP

Classic Ericsson. Probably game over.

Been a total power reversal over the course of this period. Wings were clearly the better team early on, didn't cash in on our chances, Flames get a couple goals, now they're playing with tons of confidence and they have the momentum and we're scrambling. Frustrating. End of 1st. Flames lead 2-0. Game is thoroughly winnable, but the Wings have to bear down and will it.

If only!

*drinks*

Flames score. 2-0. Could be one of those nights.

Oh, hey, his first NHL goal. And of course Bennett gets his first point of the season on the goal.