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Burtchfield: Mantha, Frk say the NHL’s “easier” to play in than the AHL

AHL graduates say it on a regular basis: as it turns out, it’s a little easier to play in the NHL, as both a skater and a goaltender, because the NHL’s players are more talented, thus reducing the level of chaos in the game.

Anthony Mantha and Martin Frk both told CBS Detroit’s Will Burtchfield that they’re finding the NHL to be simpler, more straightforward, and yes, “easier” than the AHL:

“I’ll be honest, I think it’s easier up here than in the American League,” said Anthony Mantha, who reached the 20-goal plateau last weekend in his first full NHL season.

It was a response that raised eyebrows, from a 23-year-old who typically draws attention for his play. Don’t mistake it for flippant — Mantha can appreciate the challenge of gaining a foothold in the NHL as well as anyone on the Red Wings’ roster. And certainly don’t mistake it for a player who thinks he’s already arrived.

Take it, rather, for a glimpse into Mantha’s perspective. He’s played over 100 games in both the AHL and the NHL. He was stuck between the two leagues for the better part of two years. Some felt the Wings weren’t giving him a fair shake; the Wings felt he needed to earn it.

His performance last year — 17 goals in 60 games — was the statement the team was looking for. Jeff Blashill rewarded him with a bigger role this season and Mantha has once again answered the bell.

“As soon as you come up here and get your chance and get some confidence going, it makes everything way easier,” Mantha said.

Mantha continued…

 

“As you mature and you gain experience, obviously you can slow the game down a little bit, compared to the American League (where) everyone’s just going 110 miles per hour and sometimes you have two or three guys on you. The structure’s not always on point,” Mantha said. “It’s just a different mindset, if I could say.”

Martin Frk agreed…

“If you get a lot of ice time, you play with the good players, so it gives you a better chance to put more points up and feel more comfortable on the ice,” said Martin Frk, who spent most of his career in the AHL prior to this season. “It’s definitely still a tough league, playing in the NHL, but it can be way easier if you have good players around you and you play a lot.”

And Mantha spoke with Burtchfield about his personal goals for the season as well…

Checking in on Petr

I’m not going to follow Petr Mrazek or any of the Wings’ other trade deadline subtractions with a lot of, “Hey, how is player X doing in new location Y?” stuff, but I do want to offer a little follow-up stuff regarding Mrazek, who’s going to start for the Flyers on Thursday against Columbus.

Mrazek spoke with PhiladelphiaFlyers.com’s Bill Meltzer…

Newcomer Petr Mrazek arrived in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning with just enough time to get to the Wells Fargo Center, change into his gear and participate in the morning skate. He backed up rookie Alex Lyon in the game against Montreal. Lyon earned the win with 25 saves on 27 shots.

On Wednesday, Mrazek put in his first practice with his new team.

“It’s been a busy two days but it’s very exciting to get going. I felt good out there today, for sure,” Mrazek said.

With only one full practice opportunity before Thursday, Mrazek will focus on keeping communications with his defensemen as simple and unambiguous as possible. There will be adjustments to make. For example, Mrazek is known as a rather aggressive puckhandling goalie who also likes to keep play moving when possible. In his early games with the Flyers, he may initially be a little more inclined to freeze the puck in front and venture less behind the net.

Mrazek’s teammates suggested to the Courier-Post’s Dave Isaac that Mrazek may be better off just getting into action and keeping things simple on Thursday…

“Sometimes it’s easier for him to just get thrown in there kinda,” defenseman Andrew MacDonald said, “but I think the one thing might be some communication with puck moving and him understanding our system and how we play it, the communication we have the code words, if you will. We’ll be working on that in the next few days I’m sure and going over it with the goalie coach (Kim Dillabaugh) I’m sure. It’s not a huge adjustment, but we gotta play well in front of him and we know he’ll be back there to stop it for us.

Mrazek, 26, can certainly communicate in his native Czech with fellow countryman Radko Gudas and his English is strong enough that he should have no problem with the rest of the defense corps.

He had a meeting with Dillabaugh to go over some of the defensemen’s tendencies and how to play the puck to them behind the net.

“I’m really confident in playing the puck, helping the D,” Mrazek said. “I like to be involved behind the net and try to put the puck on the D’s sticks and get the puck out of the zone. Especially on the road that’s important when those teams chip the puck behind the net and try to make chaos there. If I can help the D to get it out, that’s awesome.”

Because of the nature of his position, there isn’t much else for the Flyers to worry about. It’s not like he’s a new center that has to worry about defensive zone coverage and where to be on the ice. He stays between the pipes and uses the tools he’s built over the course of his career.

“Simple is better,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “He’s just gotta go in and play his game. All the basics are in place. He’s had a good opportunity here over a couple of days to get a clear understandings of the basic systems. We don’t want to go any further than that. We don’t want to complicate things with too much detail. Petr’s just got to go in and play and he’ll be ready to do that.”

And Mrazek spoke with NBCSN Philly’s John Boruk regarding his first impressions of his teammates:

“Everyone was really fast in transition yesterday. We were trying to get the puck out of the zone as quick as we can,” Mrazek said.

Mrazek believes he can help facilitate quick breakouts with the way he plays the puck and working the puck to his defensemen.

“I’m really confident in playing the puck and helping the defense,” Mrazek said. “I like to be involved behind the net and put the puck on their sticks and get the puck out of the zone. Especially on the road, it’s very important when teams chip the puck behind the net and try to make play out there.”

Playing the puck efficiently will certainly help Mrazek rest easier, as was his first night in Philadelphia. Staying at a nearby hotel, Mrazek was able to get a good night’s rest after barely getting any sleep the night he was traded to Philadelphia.

“I was fine today,” he said, “but yesterday when I woke up at four in the morning I asked myself, ‘Is this really happening?'”

Griffins eye playoff push as McCollum takes the reins in goal

The Grand Rapids Griffins open a 3-game home stand tonight against the Chicago Wolves in about 20 minutes, so here’s the Griffins’ Game Day Preview video a little late…

And WOOD TV spoke with the Griffins regarding their playoff push:

 

Articles from practice: Wings talk about ‘business as usual,’ bidding teammates farewell; Mantha learning net-front role; praise for Green; Vollman on the Wings’ rebuild

By the time that the Red Wings wrap up their latest stretch of 3 games to be played over the course of 4 nights, their roster may be markedly different from the one they iced a week ago.

After today’s optional practice, Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill insisted that his message to the personnel at his disposal will not change, as he told the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:

“For the most part we’re going to go business as usual; that’s our job,” Blashill said. “Our job is not worry about speculation. I don’t live in a speculation world. I deal with facts, and I know the team I have available to me. That can always change. I spent three years in the minors, and it changed all the time for various reasons. But we’re able to compartmentalize and focus on the task at hand.”

Blashill is kept abreast of any possible player movement by general manager Ken Holland — a perfect example being early this week when goaltender Petr Mrazek was traded to Philadelphia.

Holland is mindful, Blashill said, of the job of a coach.

“He has the respect of anybody who has ever worked with him for 30-plus years,” Blashill said. “He has great respect in the hockey world because of the type of manager and person he is. He understands both sides of it. We have a job to do, and our job is to win hockey games and his job is manage for tomorrow and the future. I respect what his job is and he what my job is, and we go about our business.”

[edit/update: Here’s more from Blashill via Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff:

“I’ll have conversations with guys that are in that spot or in that rumor mill or in that position where they could potentially be a guy that might get traded, just make sure they’re doing all right,” Blashill said. “Last year, (Thomas) Vanek was definitely one, Smitty (Brendan Smith), where you just have conversations to make sure they’re doing OK at that point, especially if I see a guy struggling a little bit mentally.

“The one part I think gets forgotten about because they’re professional athletes is the human side of it, and it’s hard.”

/end edit]

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a clip of Blashill speaking with the media after Wednesday’s practice (the clip isn’t working presently 🙁 ), as did the Detroit News’s Kulfan…

Continue reading Articles from practice: Wings talk about ‘business as usual,’ bidding teammates farewell; Mantha learning net-front role; praise for Green; Vollman on the Wings’ rebuild

Kulfan: Mike Green still day-to-day with ‘upper-body injury’

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan updates Mike Green’s status ahead of tomorrow night’s game against Buffalo:

Defenseman Mike Green (upper body) remains a question mark for Thursday’s game against Buffalo.

 Green has missed the last three games, though he has skated this week and was optimistic he’d be in the lineup against the Sabres.
“I’ll know that answer (Thursday),” [coach Jeff] Blashill said of Green’s availability.
Green is the most likely Red Wings player to be dealt before Monday’s deadline. He’s a potential unrestricted free agent July 1, and has several teams extremely interested in him as a rental acquisition.

Blashill feels there’s no extra concern about playing, or not playing, Green with the deadline days away.

“Not for me, not for him,” Blashill said. “We’re in a business of trying to win hockey games, he’s in business to be the best player he can be, so for me and him the focus is 100 percent on winning a game against Buffalo.”

Continued

After the ‘optional’ practice…Mantha talks about hitting 20 goals, and the Wings and beat writers talk energy management

The Red Wings held an optional practice at Little Caesars Arena ahead of Thursday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, and after practice ended, the Red Wings’ players and coach spoke with the assembled media.

The Red Wings posted a clip of Anthony Mantha discussing several topics…

Coach Blashill also spoke with the media about his team’s rough stretch of scheduling…

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan also posted some Tweets of note…

Continue reading After the ‘optional’ practice…Mantha talks about hitting 20 goals, and the Wings and beat writers talk energy management

Freep: Tickets on sale for April 11th premiere of The Russian Five movie

From the Detroit Free Press, on Twitter:

 

Fox Sports Detroit chronicles Darren Eliot’s Olympic memories

Fox Sports Detroit did a lovely job of producing 3 videos in which Wings broadcaster Darren Eliot recalls his experiences at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, where Eliot competed for Team Canada:

 

 

Tweets from practice: Wings ‘take an optional’ ahead of 3 games in 4 nights

From DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji and the Free Press’s Helene St. James comes news that the Wings are “holding an optional” today:

The Red Wings said, “Hello”…

Continue reading Tweets from practice: Wings ‘take an optional’ ahead of 3 games in 4 nights