Mantha

[marcaractac 3,961]

People also forget that Mantha was a couple posts away from scoring 4 goals in 10 games instead of 2. The scoreboard doesn't show everything. The kid made things happen while he was on the ice. It is insane to think playing him with a couple vets in protected minutes and on the powerplay isn't of more value to the team than the 5 minutes Andersson will get to play on the fourth line.

Hell, I could stomach Mantha being sent down if it was Jurco getting the fourth line minutes instead.

[krsmith17 7,191]

Great defensive weapon, LOL!

[nyqvististhefuture 1,002]

Man, this thread has taken a turn... I apologize for contributing to the nonsense earlier.

So we'd score 1 goal a game with Andersson; what would you expect with Mantha?

People getting all worked up over this like it makes some huge difference. Like it's so unbelievably stupid to not have him on the team. But at the same time you don't expect him to make a big difference.

Just a bunch of Mantha fans who want to see him play. Hopeful, maybe even optimistic, that he would be a difference maker but you wouldn't criticize him if he didn't. You have no real expectations for what he would do. Maybe some unquantifiable "look good" that he'd be sure to do since it's just a matter of your opinion. I get it, I want to see Pulk back in for the same reason. I'm just not getting bent out of shape about it.

I think we are all hopeful that Mantha will become an important part of this team sometime soon. But he isn't right now. Maybe he would be if given more of a chance. Maybe he wouldn't. We don't know. Whether or not he is a better option than the least significant player in our lineup isn't worth all the hostility.

What did Anderson bring to the table yesterday? Nothing

SoNobody is saying mantha is gonna save the wings but nobody seems to be scoring , where's zetterberg datsyuk Larkin nyquist Tatar been ?? Don't know the stats but I'm pretty sure the last 15-20 games the numbers wouldn't look so nice

Just doesn't make any sense to take away a player who can shoot the puck and is a big body who can park himself in front of the net in front of a goalie who's just as big if not bigger

Anyways it doesn't matter now , we had every opportunity to take that game but couldn't score and take advantage .... Only hope I have in the wings winning is if mrazek comes back in and steals the show ... I got zero confidence in Howard ever stealing a series

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Mantha hasn't scored either

[chaps80 1,591]

At least Andersson was getting in scrums yesterday. I think it's the most i've ever noticed him in a game before. lol

[WingsallTheway 383]

Richards scored 10. Helm's been in the top 6 for 2 and half years, but he often slides down to the 3rd and 4th lines. Doesn't really effect your argument - just keeping things honest.

I think the bigger argument is why we have Richards and Helm in our top 6. Both are best suited on the third line.

[PavelValerievichDatsyuk 1,935]

I think the bigger argument is why we have Richards and Helm in our top 6. Both are best suited on the third line.

That's the argument they were having - I was just fact checking.

[barabbas16 499]

People also forget that Mantha was a couple posts away from scoring 4 goals in 10 games instead of 2. The scoreboard doesn't show everything. The kid made things happen while he was on the ice. It is insane to think playing him with a couple vets in protected minutes and on the powerplay isn't of more value to the team than the 5 minutes Andersson will get to play on the fourth line.

Hell, I could stomach Mantha being sent down if it was Jurco getting the fourth line minutes instead.

If posts counted, Mantha would hardly be the only guy with more goals. Edited April 15, 2016 by barabbas16

[13dangledangle 957]

Mantha should play. We need, as others have clearly stated "net presence". This kid that stands 6'5 easily adds to this, as he adds throwing that frame into corners getting pucks...not to mention the fear that immediately and naturally occurs when you have a dude twice the size of you coming at top speed. Mantha should play.

[marcaractac 3,961]

If posts counted, Mantha would hardly be the only guy with more goals.

But that isn't the point. The point is he should be playing over ******* Andersson.

[LeftWinger 4,936]

IMO, if Mantha isn't ready then it shouldn't be him in...but it damn sure shouldn't be Andersjunk either! If you ask me, I am done with ALL of our Swedish meatballs. Kronner sucks, Ericsson sucks worse than sucks, Nyquist is horrible, Z is old and broken. Andersson is an AHL player that nobody in the NHL even wants on their team.

I know we cannot trade all of them, but if this were my team, I would trade all except Z and make him play 3rd and 4th line minutes.

You have a team full of centers, put Jurco in on the 4th line! AA needs to be top 6!

[DRW Dominance 255]

i'll jump on the bandwagon and agree with leftwinger. if it's not mantha then fine. but I think this team would be better with mantha or AA on the first line, drop helm to the fourth and ditch andersson. that to me makes us better.

[LeftWinger 4,936]

exactly...we have Jurco who hasn't been horrible to take the 4th line spot. Why Andersson? When Blashill took over, I thought I was done questioning line combos...

I'd almost be afraid to see where Stamkos would play if he was brought here...3rd line behind Z and Dats?

[wings4thecup06 504]

Nothing here will really change unless the wings get blown away tonight. Let's face it. Howard is the starter until he has a horrendous game ala Boston. heaven knows what else. Even Larkin only played 11:30 in game one. Seriously?

[MrazekFanBoy 223]

Keep Z on the wing

[marcaractac 3,961]

Blash won't make the changes that need to happen until it's too late.

[krsmith17 7,191]

I was a huge fan of Blashill with the Griffins and when he got hired as the new head coach of the Red Wings I was very excited to see what he could do. The main reason being, I loved the way he managed his roster down in Grand Rapids and put the kids in great positions to succeed. Things started out great with Larkin making the roster, and we all thought, this is the changing of the guard. We're finally going to start transitioning from the vets to the youth. For whatever reason, somewhere along the way, that changed. We started going back to the same old well, and leaning on the vets yet again. I'm not sure what caused him to revert back to the ways of old, if there was pressure from management to keep the streak alive or what. Regardless of when it happened or why it happened, there's no question that there have been major misusage of players for parts of this season, and especially down this last stretch.

I'm of the mindset set now that we've made the playoffs, we've kept the streak alive, we're not expected to go deep, now is the time to start playing for the future. We need to get these kids in the lineup to get them some valuable playoff experience, as well as potentially give us a better shot at winning. I'm okay with Mantha playing big minutes down in Grand Rapids, if that's what management believe is the best for his development. What I'm not okay with is Andersson in the lineup in any capacity over Jurco. And don't try to spin this as me saying that Jurco is the answer to our offensive woes (like some did with the Mantha debate), because (again) I'm not. What I am saying is that Jurco is just as good defensively, can also kill penalties and is about 100 times better offensively. Andersson is not an NHL calibre player and should not be anywhere close to this roster.

The defense has been abysmal at best, and Blash decided to make a change, he switched Ericsson and Quincey. Yup, that should really jump start this team... Instead of inserting Smith in, you switch two defensive defensemen, expecting some huge change? What a joke...

[The Secret 304]

Pretty ridiculous blowing the last chance mantha will ever have from being surrounded pavel , Blashill was all about the kids when he came here but athanasiou is playing 5 minutes a game now and all the kids he practically coached in Grand Rapids are being benched

Jeff let's keep playing it safe Blashill could turn out to be a big mistake

Brad Richards and Anderson won't help us win a cup , having athanasiou and a sniper like mantha get more ice time on the powerplay and top 6 will

Whatever , at least we got 25 years now .... That seems like the only goal now

Put the kid in and let him get the experience!!! It's a no brainer. It's not like they get past the first round with this horse crap coaching anyway. Make lemons out of lemonade Blashill.

[The Secret 304]

I was a huge fan of Blashill with the Griffins and when he got hired as the new head coach of the Red Wings I was very excited to see what he could do. The main reason being, I loved the way he managed his roster down in Grand Rapids and put the kids in great positions to succeed. Things started out great with Larkin making the roster, and we all thought, this is the changing of the guard. We're finally going to start transitioning from the vets to the youth. For whatever reason, somewhere along the way, that changed. We started going back to the same old well, and leaning on the vets yet again. I'm not sure what caused him to revert back to the ways of old, if there was pressure from management to keep the streak alive or what. Regardless of when it happened or why it happened, there's no question that there have been major misusage of players for parts of this season, and especially down this last stretch.

I'm of the mindset set now that we've made the playoffs, we've kept the streak alive, we're not expected to go deep, now is the time to start playing for the future. We need to get these kids in the lineup to get them some valuable playoff experience, as well as potentially give us a better shot at winning. I'm okay with Mantha playing big minutes down in Grand Rapids, if that's what management believe is the best for his development. What I'm not okay with is Andersson in the lineup in any capacity over Jurco. And don't try to spin this as me saying that Jurco is the answer to our offensive woes (like some did with the Mantha debate), because (again) I'm not. What I am saying is that Jurco is just as good defensively, can also kill penalties and is about 100 times better offensively. Andersson is not an NHL calibre player and should not be anywhere close to this roster.

The defense has been abysmal at best, and Blash decided to make a change, he switched Ericsson and Quincey. Yup, that should really jump start this team... Instead of inserting Smith in, you switch two defensive defensemen, expecting some huge change? What a joke...

With Datsyuk and Zetterberg nearing the end of their career I would have thought they should be moved down to the second line to:

1. Spend a bit less time on the ice and preserve them for the post season

2. Play against opponents 2nd string rather than 1st string

3. Start getting the next generation of leadership seasoned and playing in that capacity

4. Give the kids as much exposure to the Datsyuks and Zetterbergs while we still have them

[nyqvististhefuture 1,002]

Blash won't make the changes that need to happen until it's too late.

Sadly that is very accurate

Should be putting athanasiou/mantha top 6 .... Andersson takes a hike and helm would be perfect on a 4th line with glendening and shadow Tampa's top line when possible and kill penalties

[WingedWheel91 271]

I was a huge fan of Blashill with the Griffins and when he got hired as the new head coach of the Red Wings I was very excited to see what he could do. The main reason being, I loved the way he managed his roster down in Grand Rapids and put the kids in great positions to succeed. Things started out great with Larkin making the roster, and we all thought, this is the changing of the guard. We're finally going to start transitioning from the vets to the youth. For whatever reason, somewhere along the way, that changed. We started going back to the same old well, and leaning on the vets yet again. I'm not sure what caused him to revert back to the ways of old, if there was pressure from management to keep the streak alive or what. Regardless of when it happened or why it happened, there's no question that there have been major misusage of players for parts of this season, and especially down this last stretch.

I'm of the mindset set now that we've made the playoffs, we've kept the streak alive, we're not expected to go deep, now is the time to start playing for the future. We need to get these kids in the lineup to get them some valuable playoff experience, as well as potentially give us a better shot at winning. I'm okay with Mantha playing big minutes down in Grand Rapids, if that's what management believe is the best for his development. What I'm not okay with is Andersson in the lineup in any capacity over Jurco. And don't try to spin this as me saying that Jurco is the answer to our offensive woes (like some did with the Mantha debate), because (again) I'm not. What I am saying is that Jurco is just as good defensively, can also kill penalties and is about 100 times better offensively. Andersson is not an NHL calibre player and should not be anywhere close to this roster.

The defense has been abysmal at best, and Blash decided to make a change, he switched Ericsson and Quincey. Yup, that should really jump start this team... Instead of inserting Smith in, you switch two defensive defensemen, expecting some huge change? What a joke...

I agree with you, despite my hilarious jokes about Andersson - he is surprisingly not our savior, or a Conn Smythe candidate at this point... Jurco is probably better suited for the 4th line especially because Andersson hasn't even been playing Center. That question comes down to Blashill's opinion of who is better defensively.

In terms of a rotating in Smith to jump start our team... We. Didn't. Play. A. Bad. Game.

We lost by a goal, to the defending Eastern Conference Champions in their building... We had 36 shots on goal, and a number quality scoring chances that could have easily gone in: I can think of Sheahan, Nyquist, Datsyuk, and Green missing the net on golden opportunities. If we play like that again tonight, we probably win - and If we did win on Wednesday, which was a hell of a lot better than the game 1 (we won) last year - this thread doesn't get to 9 pages.

[Richdg 267]

I agree with you, despite my hilarious jokes about Andersson - he is surprisingly not our savior, or a Conn Smythe candidate at this point... Jurco is probably better suited for the 4th line especially because Andersson hasn't even been playing Center. That question comes down to Blashill's opinion of who is better defensively.

In terms of a rotating in Smith to jump start our team... We. Didn't. Play. A. Bad. Game.

We lost by a goal, to the defending Eastern Conference Champions in their building... We had 36 shots on goal, and a number quality scoring chances that could have easily gone in: I can think of Sheahan, Nyquist, Datsyuk, and Green missing the net on golden opportunities. If we play like that again tonight, we probably win - and If we did win on Wednesday, which was a hell of a lot better than the game 1 (we won) last year - this thread doesn't get to 9 pages.

WE. LOST. Close doesn't count. We lost to wounded team missing their 2 best players.

[WingedWheel91 271]

WE. LOST. Close doesn't count. We lost to wounded team missing their 2 best players.

Have you ever coached a team?

There are plenty of positives you can take from a loss.

Rotating in rookies or substituting in a defenceman who hasn't played in almost a month - are desperate moves we don't need to make after a very close game 1. We aren't the 2008 versions of ourselves. We came in 8th place. We aren't supposed to win. Does Brendan Smith change all of that? The guy had 2 assists in the last 17 games he played.

When we win tonight with the exact same lineup - I can't wait to hear what Blashill should have done different to win by a higher margin.

Edited April 15, 2016 by WingedWheel91

[dirtydangles 1,328]

Have you ever coached a team?

There are plenty of positives you can take from a loss.

Rotating in rookies or substituting in a defenceman who hasn't played in almost a month - are desperate moves we don't need to make after a very close game 1. We aren't the 2008 versions of ourselves. We came in 8th place. We aren't supposed to win. Does Brendan Smith change all of that? The guy had 2 assists in the last 17 games he played.

When we win tonight with the exact same lineup - I can't wait to hear what Blashill should have done different to win by a higher margin.

This team can't score more than 2 goals on a good night the way Blashill has them playing. The other team is scoring on all their opportunities. There isn't much positive to take from that.

[Richdg 267]

Have you ever coached a team?

There are plenty of positives you can take from a loss.

Rotating in rookies or substituting in a defenceman who hasn't played in almost a month - are desperate moves we don't need to make after a very close game 1. We aren't the 2008 versions of ourselves. We came in 8th place. We aren't supposed to win. Does Brendan Smith change all of that? The guy had 2 assists in the last 17 games he played.

When we win tonight with the exact same lineup - I can't wait to hear what Blashill should have done different to win by a higher margin.

Coached longer than many on this forum have been alive-over 20 years at all levels in many different sports. But that isn't the point.

You are right, we are not supposed to win, we finished 8th, and we are not going to win the SC. So why not play the youth and develop them instead of playing old and broken down playrs that are not going to be here next year? Bench Richards, Helm, Andersson, etc.... Play Mantha, Jurco, Pulks and anyone else that has a chance of helping us down the road. By playing those guys we learn what we have. Maybe they make it maybe they fail. But now the team knows what it has going forward.

Right now none of us know if Jurco, mantha, Pulk etc... are going to make it. They only way to find out is to play them. So now these guys are on the bench or in the minors and next fall when we have to count on them we don't know if they can produce.