number9 3,297 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 Great summary krsmith17 Although it saddens me that Mantha goes unmentioned. A reflection of his performance. Throw him in Lake Michigan, I bet he floats 3 PavelValerievichDatsyuk, DatsyukianDekes and rick zombo reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DatsyukianDekes 2,428 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 Throw him in Lake Michigan, I bet he floats I see what you did there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 I actually did have a little something written up on Mantha but I was having trouble posting this morning and I must have lost it somewhere along the way. But yes, Mantha has been very underwhelming in the playoffs so far. He seems to have one shift ever single game where he absolutely dominates, the rest of the game, he's invisible... I'm not sure if it was game 3 or 4 but he went end to end and beat all 5 Marlies that were on the ice and made a great pass over to Zengerle (I believe it was), who had an unbelievable scoring chance and shot it just wide of the open cage. I still think he has a bright future ahead of him, but he is definitely struggling to find his game at the pro level. He is still only 20 years old and in his first year of pro, and much like every player in our system that makes the jump from junior to pro (with the excepting of Athanasiou) he is having trouble adapting. This is a kid that for the past two seasons could score at will. He makes the jump from playing against boys half his size to playing against men that are much stronger. Like a lot of young kids, he was probably expecting it to be a seamless transition, and with all the pressure on him to produce out of the gate, and coming off a leg injury, he's probably found it to be very overwhelming... It's about time for him to settle in now though... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rick zombo 3,739 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 http://www.foxsports.com/detroit/story/griffins-playoff-success-bodes-well-for-red-wings-future-050415 And one player, former No. 1 pick Anthony Mantha, has not come close to meeting expectations."Very, very, very disappointing," said Wings Senior Vice President Jim Devellano, who saw the Griffins play their final three games, including Sunday's 3-1 win, over the Toronto Marlies. "And I say that with a lot of sadness. Coming out of junior, we had such high hopes for him." Also, oddly there's no mention of Athanasiou in this article and they paint a bleak picture for the top pairing D in the Wings future. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 I'm high on Nosek but to say that he "should find his way to Detroit sometime next season" is a bit of a stretch in my mind. Unless of course we get hit hard with injuries... Some argued with me about our number one priority at this years draft, particularly our first round pick, NEEDS to be a top pairing defenseman, would you still argue that point?... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nyqvististhefuture 1,002 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 I'm high on Nosek but to say that he "should find his way to Detroit sometime next season" is a bit of a stretch in my mind. Unless of course we get hit hard with injuries... Some argued with me about our number one priority at this years draft, particularly our first round pick, NEEDS to be a top pairing defenseman, would you still argue that point?... It all depends who's available when it comes to detroits pick, and who's available in the second round ... I'm sure there are good defensemen available later we just have to find them As for mantha he's had a disappointing season no doubt but he's still only 20 and missed training camp and had an injury , I'm sure after he's played this season in the ahl and realizes it's not junior hockey he will train harder in the off season and play a lot better next season To early to give up on mantha Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rick zombo 3,739 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 It all depends who's available when it comes to detroits pick, and who's available in the second round ... I'm sure there are good defensemen available later we just have to find them As for mantha he's had a disappointing season no doubt but he's still only 20 and missed training camp and had an injury , I'm sure after he's played this season in the ahl and realizes it's not junior hockey he will train harder in the off season and play a lot better next season To early to give up on mantha I agree about Mantha. I'm actually pretty annoyed at Jimmy D for s***ting all over him publicly the way he did. But Devellano's never been known for his tact. 2 PavelValerievichDatsyuk and nyqvististhefuture reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evilmrt 636 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 And one player, former No. 1 pick Anthony Mantha, has not come close to meeting expectations. "Very, very, very disappointing," said Wings Senior Vice President Jim Devellano, who saw the Griffins play their final three games, including Sunday's 3-1 win, over the Toronto Marlies. "And I say that with a lot of sadness. Coming out of junior, we had such high hopes for him." What the fracking frack???? Devellano should shut the hell up and retire. Mantha is a struggling kid and he doesn't need to be embarrassed by the Wings front office. I guess they've given up on him already. Wow. Total BS. 3 amato, rick zombo and PavelValerievichDatsyuk reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DatsyukianDekes 2,428 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 Perhaps it's for him to work harder? Because let's be honest, Mantha doesn't skate and battle too hard which is one thing he needs to fix before going to the NHL. His compete level from watching him on Val'dor and now Griffins is a little concerning, but he's still young and will improve. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shinzaki 72 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 I've seen a fair number of Griffs games this year...I'll echo what krsmith said about Mantha...physically he has all the ability in the world and can dominate when he gets after it. the problem he has...like a lot of really talented athletes...is that he's finally reached a level where talent alone doesn't cut it. You have to work...it's paradoxical, the more talent you have, the harder you have to work because you have more skills to develop and refine. Jimmy D was 100% justified in raking Mantha like that. The kid has a huge opportunity in front of him as the Wings NEED scoring. He isn't putting forth the effort to grab that opportunity and run with it. An WTH does Jensen have to do to get a shot in Detroit. Blazing speed, moves the puck well and decent size...and he's RH!! Every time I see him play I think "that's an NHL defenseman". 1 krsmith17 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 What the fracking frack???? Devellano should shut the hell up and retire. Mantha is a struggling kid and he doesn't need to be embarrassed by the Wings front office. I guess they've given up on him already. Wow. Total BS. I highly doubt they've given up on him already, in spite of Devellano using past tense. I'm guessing this is his attempt at motivating Mantha. Or it's Devellano just saying something stupid again. Probably both. It should put the fear of god in Mantha though, hearing someone so high up in the Red Wings organization talk about you that way. 1 DatsyukianDekes reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buppy 1,720 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 ... Pulkkinen has also been very good, but it kind of worries me a little that he still does his one go-to move; walks in over the blue line, puts on the breaks and winds up for the holy slapper. Sure, it works in the AHL but it clearly doesn't at the NHL level. I know he won't ever be the type of player that dangles past defenders but I think he needs a little more than that shot to make it in the NHL as anything more than a 3rd line winger / power-play specialist. In saying that, I don't think 15 goals on the power-play alone is out of reach next season if the Wings would actually use him correctly (ala Stamkos / Ovechkin, hovering around the left faceoff dot). ... Pulkkinen's 6 goals: Game 1: Finds a soft spot in the slot, gets off a shot, then goes to the net to put home his own rebound. 2nd one going to the net for another rebound. Game 2: Finds an open spot at the right faceoff dot for a one-timer, 3v3 rush. Game 3: Breakaway and an EN Game 4: Slapper from the top of the circle, playing the point on the PP He already has more than that shot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmyemeryhunter 2,747 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 I hope mantha comes out and dominates the next round. From what Iread its more mental than anything else.. Also. Is jimmy d now a Crotchety old man? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VM1138 1,921 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 I think it's fair to say Mantha won't be the power forward most of us hoped he'd be. I still think he'll make the NHL, though. Just not a player to build your franchise around like they were hoping to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echolalia 2,961 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 I think it's fair to say Mantha won't be the power forward most of us hoped he'd be. I still think he'll make the NHL, though. Just not a player to build your franchise around like they were hoping to do. I don't think it's fair to make any conclusions about the NHL career of a 20 year old who is still playing in his first year in the minors, especially after missing the first couple months with a broken leg. 2 The Greek and krsmith17 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheelchairsuperhero 1,453 Report post Posted May 4, 2015 I don't think it's fair to make any conclusions about the NHL career of a 20 year old who is still playing in his first year in the minors, especially after missing the first couple months with a broken leg. This. While I am slightly disappointed I also still think pretty highly of him. He's adjusting to a different game and probably can't play the same way he has been. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted May 5, 2015 Buppy, I'm not sure what your point here is... Did I say that every single goal that Pulkkinen has scored at the AHL level were his patented step over the blue line and fire? No, my point is simply that he is very predictable. 9 out of 10 times he gets over the blue line whether it's a 1 on 2 or a 2 on 1, he's going to do the exact same thing, pull up and fire. I've seen most every single one of his 76 goals at the AHL level, and all 6 you mentioned so far in these playoffs. Just because he's capable of scoring different ways doesn't make it any less concerning that he has one go to play... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buppy 1,720 Report post Posted May 5, 2015 Buppy, I'm not sure what your point here is... Did I say that every single goal that Pulkkinen has scored at the AHL level were his patented step over the blue line and fire? No, my point is simply that he is very predictable. 9 out of 10 times he gets over the blue line whether it's a 1 on 2 or a 2 on 1, he's going to do the exact same thing, pull up and fire. I've seen most every single one of his 76 goals at the AHL level, and all 6 you mentioned so far in these playoffs. Just because he's capable of scoring different ways doesn't make it any less concerning that he has one go to play... My point was that in your damn-he-does-that-a-lot hyperbole, it seemed maybe you weren't fully appreciating how frequently he does in fact do other things. I didn't just pick 6 randoms goals from the season, it's 6 (or 5 really, taking out the EN) goals that came in the span of 4 games. Even if those were the only such chances he had in the whole series, if he can get chances at close to that frequency in the NHL it'd likely make him a 20+ goal scorer. Successful even if every other time he touches the puck it results in nothing. But in reality, "pull up and fire" probably isn't a whole lot less effective a zone entry method than Datsyuk trying to split the D or Zetterberg's curl into the boards and shuttle the puck to the corner. It's hockey. Almost everything everyone does fails almost every time to generate a good scoring chance. Ideally, on the Wings he wouldn't be the one bringing the puck in. When he does, throwing it at the net would probably be the best option for him most of the time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted May 5, 2015 I really don't get your point here at all. You're acting as if I was bashing Pulkkinen when I'm not at all. I'm actually one of the bigger Pulkkinen supporters on here. I'm simply making the point that he needs to add more to his bag of tricks and not be as predictable when entering the zone... I'm not sure if you watch the games or just catch the highlights but I watch a TON of games and Bob Kaser (the Griffins' Ken Daniels) has said numerous times over the course of the season and even in these playoffs how Teemu needs to change up his game a little if he wants to make it in the NHL. That was my only point, I'm not sure what your beef with that is... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
number9 3,297 Report post Posted May 5, 2015 I really don't get your point here at all. You're acting as if I was bashing Pulkkinen when I'm not at all. I'm actually one of the bigger Pulkkinen supporters on here. I'm simply making the point that he needs to add more to his bag of tricks and not be as predictable when entering the zone... I'm not sure if you watch the games or just catch the highlights but I watch a TON of games and Bob Kaser (the Griffins' Ken Daniels) has said numerous times over the course of the season and even in these playoffs how Teemu needs to change up his game a little if he wants to make it in the NHL. That was my only point, I'm not sure what your beef with that is... He really is the Griffins biggest fan boy, too bad Smith is a Red Wing now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted May 5, 2015 (edited) I'd also like to add that inside the offensive zone, Pulkkinen is without question the most dangerous player on the Griffins, hence all the different types of goals he has scored. That doesn't change the fact that his zone entries are very predictable. And while they most certainly can work at the AHL level, they don't / won't cut it in the NHL. There is a lot less time and space and no defender is going to fall for that move, and even if they do, the likelihood of the goaltender missing it is even less likely... To compare Pulkkinen's entries to Datsyuk and Zetterberg's is a little foolish don't ya think?... I don't get your sarcastic comments number9... Go troll someone else... Edited May 5, 2015 by krsmith17 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
number9 3,297 Report post Posted May 5, 2015 I'd also like to add that inside the offensive zone, Pulkkinen is without question the most dangerous player on the Griffins, hence all the different types of goals he has scored. That doesn't change the fact that his zone entries are very predictable. And while they most certainly can work at the AHL level, they don't / won't cut it in the NHL. There is a lot less time and space and no defender is going to fall for that move, and even if they do, the likelihood of the goaltender missing it is even less likely... To compare Pulkkinen's entries to Datsyuk and Zetterberg's is a little foolish don't ya think?... I don't get your sarcastic comments number9... Go troll someone else... Just playin JEEEEEEZZZZZ You truly do know more about the Griffins than anyone else on here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted May 5, 2015 I watch a lot of games but I know of a few others on here that do as well. I highly doubt I know any more than some of those guys, especially the ones that are fortunate enough to attend the games live. Anyway, the whole "fan boy" thing annoyed me a little and the fact that you had to throw in yet another Smith slight was a piss off, but if you say you were kidding, okay... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BottleOfSmoke 5,965 Report post Posted May 5, 2015 You can really tell who around here has friends/family that take the piss on the regular and those who don't 1 rick zombo reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ekmanc 586 Report post Posted May 5, 2015 You can really tell who around here has friends/family that take the piss on the regular and those who don't Or who is a complete dick and who isn't... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
