A bit disappointing Fantilli line did not have any production but it looks like they had their chances
Hopefully it clicks faster than the 4 years it took MacKinnon. MacK was good but when it all clicked... oh boy. Could be similar for Fantilli. Fantilli just looks like a kid trying to do too much right nowThey were our worst line but if the top line keeps looking good, which it did tonight, then I think we can afford to give the second line time figure things out together.
Fantilli could use some video of Chinakhov and Marchenko working together, and how they follow each other and look for each other. He needs to do an impression. I really think Fantilli has all the basic tools to be a complete player but he's used to being a one man attack, he still has to learn how to attack in a group.
I agree. He tries to win like he would at Michigan. You're not just going to walk through NHLers. He's a 20 year old making 20 year old mistakes. To be expected. He'll gel with someone soon.Hopefully it clicks faster than the 4 years it took MacKinnon. MacK was good but when it all clicked... oh boy. Could be similar for Fantilli. Fantilli just looks like a kid trying to do too much right now
Sillinger at wing, Danforth at center? More of that, please.
I know Dean's trying to win games. You can't tell coaches and players that, because of the unique circumstances, we are looking at a growth year where we don't compete and that's OK.
But... Johnny was killed, Laine was traded (a net positive in my book but no forward came in return), three regular forwards are injured and we're skating at least two guys that under other circumstances we wouldn't have signed.
There are going to be lines that don't work. There are going to be deficiencies. I don't think there are a whole lot of solutions game-to-game. If the guys are working hard and doing what coaches are asking of them, I'm good with it.
Maybe Voronkov misunderstood the question and said "hockey".In the postgame interview Dean said it came about because he asked Danforth, earlier this season, what he preferred to play.
I wonder if he might ask Voronkov that too when he comes back.
I'm good with expectations and maybe working the roster will just try and be a thing where we're trying to use a player who's playing well to jump start someone else (i.e. Chinny and Fantilli). But I feel like we'll always be creating a deficiency somewhere else.I was expecting that to be my attitude, and maybe it will end up having to be my attitude as we start to have problems later in the year. But so far Dean's managed to make lines that work out of seemingly nothing. He's raising our expectations. And credit of course to guys like Danforth and Olivier that are playing well beyond what you would expect even from good coaching.
Maybe Voronkov misunderstood the question and said "hockey".
I can’t like this enoughI know Dean's trying to win games. You can't tell coaches and players that, because of the unique circumstances, we are looking at a growth year where we don't compete and that's OK.
But... Johnny was killed, Laine was traded (a net positive in my book but no forward came in return), three regular forwards are injured and we're skating at least two guys that under other circumstances we wouldn't have signed.
There are going to be lines that don't work. There are going to be deficiencies. I don't think there are a whole lot of solutions game-to-game. If the guys are working hard and doing what coaches are asking of them, I'm good with it.