dmbongreyst 14 Report post Posted December 26, 2013 Not only did he get the hat trick but I really liked the way he scored them. Two of the three he went to the net and waited for the rebound on one and the pass on the other. Other than screening we don't see enough Wings skating hard to the net looking to make something happen. The wrap around was nice to see as well. That was the first of the WJ games I've seen this year. I was impressed but would like to see what he does against a higher quality opponent. I thought Patterson played well. He didn't have any highlight stops but got the job done after the two early goals. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Crymson Report post Posted January 2, 2014 Mantha is currently tied for the tournament lead with ten points (4G, 6A) in four games. He is also tied for best +/- with a +5. 1 Smite reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DatsyukianDekes 2,428 Report post Posted January 3, 2014 Can we have him up for the shootouts ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echolalia 2,961 Report post Posted January 3, 2014 Can we have him up for the shootouts ? This kid is built to succeed with Datsyuk's shootout strategy. Dats usually goes backhand or forehand without too much flash, but the key is how wide his stick-handling is when he shoots. Because he handles the puck far from his body when he approaches the goal (either to the left or the right, depending on his stick-handling pattern), he can drastically change his shooting angle on the net simply by going from a wide backhand to a wide forehand (or vice versa). Its tough for a goalie to adjust to a change in shooting angle that quickly, which is where Datsyuk's success has typically been. Unfortunately this year he's been off the mark. ANYWAY, Mantha is what, 6'4"? That is a considerable wingspan, and if HE comes in handling the puck wide to one side or the other, that angle of attack is pretty much aimed from the face-off circle! That's a tough game of angles for the goalie, when changing the angle of attack from one faceoff dot to the opposite one is just a matter of a single deke. And if Mantha is as strong as they say (or realizes that body's full potential), he could really rip the puck, even if he is holding it far from his body. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nev 1,085 Report post Posted January 3, 2014 Yeah, it's like Jagr, I remember some defenceman saying when he goes forehand-backhand, the puck moves laterally 12 feet across the ice Share this post Link to post Share on other sites