Playoff Lines + Mantha Back to GR

[Aethernum 276]

Thought it would be good for us to have a thread discussing our thoughts on lines for the playoff series. Along those lines (hah, get it?), it appears Mantha staying with the Detroit squad "long term" was a load of hooey.

Ansar Khan @AnsarKhanMLive - 1 hour ago

#RedWings have reassigned Anthony Mantha to @griffinshockey Joakim Andersson will remain with team heading into playoffs

It's probably better than he is playing somewhere, as opposed to sitting in Detroit, but it's nevertheless disappointing that we're not trying to give playoff experience to a future core player. With Mantha out and Andersson playing a fourth line role, here are the lines I would prefer to see:

Abby - Z - Larkin

AA - Datsyuk - Tatar

Helm - Sheahan - Nyquist

Andersson - Glendening - Richards

Alternatively, I would love to see Larkin play on a line with the Eurotwins. Give him as much time as we have left with those two to really learn how to play with vision and savvy. In reality, I expect AA to be on the bottom line where Richards is, with Helm and Richards each moved up one line.

Edit - Mods, can you merge this post into the topic that has already been started on Mantha? Would appreciate it.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Aethernum

[paulwoodsfan 52]

We need to find a way to roll four lines to have any chance of winning the first (or any) round. You can't win in the playoffs with a forward playing two minutes a night. If Abdelkader is healthy I expect Jurco will dress over Andersson. I'd like to see AA on a top-three line and Helm down with Glendening and Jurco. That's a fourth line I'd be comfortable giving a lot of minutes to.

[kliq 3,755]

We need to find a way to roll four lines to have any chance of winning the first (or any) round. You can't win in the playoffs with a forward playing two minutes a night. If Abdelkader is healthy I expect Jurco will dress over Andersson. I'd like to see AA on a top-three line and Helm down with Glendening and Jurco. That's a fourth line I'd be comfortable giving a lot of minutes to.

My gut tells me that is why he was sent down. Blash probably didn't plan on playing him, and Holland figured its better to have him play in GR then sit in a press box, which I do agree with.

[VM1138 1,921]

It'd be nice to have a player who can score in the lineup, but I guess having defensive stalwarts Jurco and Andersson in instead is better.

...

[SpiritFan 37]

And they can always call Mantha back up at any time if they need/want to. He's not far away.

[joesuffP 1,746]

AA and Mantha are often not back helping the defense on breakouts and are too far up ice on the outlet pass. That and just general strength is needed to win board battles. Not a lot of rookies have the strength at that age to be great defensive players

[nyqvististhefuture 1,002]

And they can always call Mantha back up at any time if they need/want to. He's not far away.

Ha call him back when were losing 3-1 series

[Jacksoni 418]

Just call Cleary back up and this farse is complete. Just feels like some weird show anyway.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Ha call him back when were losing 3-1 series

Yeah, and then blame him for the series loss because "defense"

^^ I also agree Dano should be called up, as well! He's a playoff vet who plays outstanding defense.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Detroit # 1 Fan

[Wings_Toledo 233]

Doesn't really matter which lines they ice. I don't have very high hopes for this team... If I'm Blashill I just give Datsyuk as much ice-time as possible since he'll likely be gone after this series anyway.

[greene709 27]

Yeah, and then blame him for the series loss because "defense"

^^ I also agree Dano should be called up, as well! He's a playoff vet who plays outstanding defense.

Out of curiosity, has Cleary played much in GR this year?

Sent from my STV100-3 using Tapatalk

[GoWings1905 2,694]

This organization is so stupid sometimes. 29 other teams wanted no part of Joakim Andersson two months ago and the Red Wings are going to dress him in the playoffs. How many PK bodies does a team need? You already have Glendening, Helm, Sheahan, Abby. Plus AA and Larkin or hell, even Pav and Z if Blash didn't run them into the ground already.

You aren't winning the Stanley Cup and your future looks even bleaker with Datsyuk gone. What better time than now to give your young guys valuable playoff experience? What's the worse thing that could happen -- the Wings lose in the first round like every other year anyways?

25 years, though! Holland will cling to that pointless streak until someone finally steps in and holds him accountable for seven years and counting of mediocrity.

[amato 3,210]

Anderson or Mantha would be scratched every game so why not send down Mantha and get him some actual playing time?

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

[VM1138 1,921]

Jeez, they really hate Mantha, don't they? Holland can be so damn condescending sometimes.

I just looked at Jurco's NHL career stats. He's basically declined each year. He's the definition of a plug out there. Serviceable as a warm body but not doing anything to help. Andersson is the same. He can PK because he can't skate the whole ice. Blashill is obsessively defensive. His only tweaks are to bring a player on to help us play PK, not a player to help our PP score.

I've never been so frustrated with this franchise. I really hope we're not about to go down in humiliation.

[matt198913 932]

They don't have a clue what they are watching. Mantha makes their PP so much better. AA will be on the bottom again, come hell or high water Holland is gonna play his vets. Rather give Brad Rochards 20 useless minutes a night. I just don't get it.

[Aethernum 276]

Yeesh. I largely agree with his assessment of Andersson's use on the PK, but calling Mantha a "spare part" is really harsh language for a guy who, basically everyone agrees, stepped up to the plate at the NHL level on his first go. It feels like there has to be more to it than that.

When it comes down to it, Holland is right that if he's playing 6-8 minutes a night, it's not worth it. The difference between my opinion and his is that the solution is to play him MORE than 6-8 minutes a night, not give up on him completely.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Jeez, they really hate Mantha, don't they? Holland can be so damn condescending sometimes.

I just looked at Jurco's NHL career stats. He's basically declined each year. He's the definition of a plug out there. Serviceable as a warm body but not doing anything to help. Andersson is the same. He can PK because he can't skate the whole ice. Blashill is obsessively defensive. His only tweaks are to bring a player on to help us play PK, not a player to help our PP score.

I've never been so frustrated with this franchise. I really hope we're not about to go down in humiliation.

The crazy thing is they could go on a run in the playoffs if they put the right pieces in play. The Lightning are very vulnerable right now with injuries and is anyone that scared of the Panthers or Rangers/Islanders? I'm not saying the Wings would come close to beating the Capitals or Penguins, but the first round especially is winnable and then go from there.

I thought Blashill would bring a new identity and finally push the young guys into larger roles. Instead he has been Babcock without the coaching acumen. I don't know if Holland has him by the balls or what, but I honestly feel this is a pretty dangerous team with better personnel decisions and usage. Right now though, they won't beat the Lightning if they are going down the same path as the one they used to limp into the playoffs.

[VM1138 1,921]

We lost to an AHL Rangers team. Stamkos being out injured isn't exactly giving me confidence. This team hasn't won 4 games in a 7 game stretch all season, I don't think. Not sure why they would now.

[Buppy 1,720]

We lost to an AHL Rangers team. Stamkos being out injured isn't exactly giving me confidence. This team hasn't won 4 games in a 7 game stretch all season, I don't think. Not sure why they would now.

Just to fan the flames, we have...when Mantha was in.

[amato 3,210]

Stamkos, Johnson, Hedman, Callahan, and strahlman are all hurt.. I don't know who will be back in playoffs but it looks like at least stamkos and Johnson will be out. I think our playoff run depends on if our goalies show up.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

We lost to an AHL Rangers team. Stamkos being out injured isn't exactly giving me confidence. This team hasn't won 4 games in a 7 game stretch all season, I don't think. Not sure why they would now.

I agree, but losing to the Rangers once again comes back to poor usage and expecting the veterans to carry the load after an 82-game grind. Blashill was playing not to lose yesterday and they did. I'm not saying this is a cup contender with these hypothetical moves, but I do believe it gives them more of a chance to win than the losing formula they clung to down the stretch.

Babcock could get away with that system because he was such a good coach. Blashill is not there, nor should he try to become something that he isn't. He got the job because he developed prospects well and seemed to embrace transitioning them to the next level here in Detroit. Why we got away from that in a perfect year (not a cup contender, declining veterans) to incorporate more youth is beyond me.

Edited April 11, 2016 by GoWings1905

[Wingnut1989 165]

so joke anderson in for mantha now? i thought mantha played pretty good while he was in, more impact then joke thats for sure

[poel 28]

I can't repeat myself often enough...can't we just stop playing useless plugs like Helm or Andersson? And can't we just bench Nyquist PLEASE!? I can't stand it anymore...he makes terrible mistakes in EVERY important game. How many games we lost because of his stupid giveaways? Since he fell asleep in may 2013 during OT vs Chicago he's learned absolutely nothing. If we beat the Blackhawks in this Game everything is possible, Nyquist was sleeping and just waiting for Bolland to hit him. He ended a promisnig season in an embarassing way and he doesn't even seem to give a damn as he did it over and over again. And to be honest, Tatar isn't much better. His giveaway against Tampa was terrible and he didn't even think a second about doing anything to get the puck back. I wouldn't blame Tatar for the situation we're in, but it drives me crazy to read all of those quotes about Mantha's if in fact half of our forward group is much worse than him or AA aswell.

And regarding defense...why is Lashoff playing AHL if he played well alongside Kronwall under Babcock? And why is Ouellet still down there if Babcock years ago said that he's NHL-ready and wanted to keep him with the team? Instead we're playing Green who might be useful on the PP but on the other side couldn't even defend at AHL-level? Not to mention turnover machine Smith or our quickmoving star defenders Quincey and Ericsson. Which those clowns we cannot beat anyone in the playoffs.

Play:

Mantha, Zetterberg, Abdelkader

Larkin, Datsyuk, Jurco

Athanasiou, Richards, Pulkkinen

Tatar, Sheahan, Glendening

DeKeyser, Marchenko

Kronwall, Lashoff

Ouellet, Sproul

PP1: Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Mantha (net front), Kronwall, Pulkkinen

PP2: Jurco, Larkin, Abdelkader (net front), Richards, Marchenko

I know that this lineup may not win anything, but at least we'd lose in style. And let's not forget that if we wanna keep our playoff streak alive, we'll anyway need to rely on exactly those guys with Pav gone and his caphit still very much with the team.

-----

No, This lineup is not 100% serious, but just that fact that that's what I'd like to see shows how much this team is in need of changes and how many decisions made this season or even earlier were just wrong...

Edited April 11, 2016 by poel

[VM1138 1,921]

I agree, but losing to the Rangers once again comes back to poor usage and expecting the veterans to carry the load after an 82-game grind. Blashill was playing not to lose yesterday and they did. I'm not saying this is a cup contender with these hypothetical moves, but I do believe it gives them more of a chance to win than the losing formula they clung to down the stretch.

Babcock could get away with that system because he was such a good coach. Blashill is not there, nor should he try to become something that he isn't. He got the job because he developed prospects well and seemed to embrace transitioning them to the next level here in Detroit. Why we got away from that in a perfect year (not a cup contender, declining veterans) to incorporate more youth is beyond me.

I don't see why Blashill would change his "play not to lose" strategy that hurt us recently now. Playoffs aren't an entirely new thing. It'll be a week from the season. And signs seem to indicate Blashill isn't changing his strategy.