I agree with that.
I also agree with the poster earlier who said that Blake is a diver. I noticed on three occasions he went down easily. He drew a penalty on one, but it looked like he may have sold it, perhaps.
Blake's motor is really impressive. He drew "oohs" from the crowd on a zone entry where the team went for a change. He had a box of Pens around him and went in solo. I laughed to my Dad and said "this is a nothing play". Somehow, someway, Blake dragged around a couple defenders and got a decent shot on goal.
At the same time, I also think Blake is overskating or overthinking plays. He had another play on a zone entry where a Cane was pulling the puck into the zone. Blake was right behind him. The NHL veteran play is to open yourself up for a passing option, but Blake went right for the puck, almost like he wanted to strip it off his own teammate.
He needs games and he needs time to eventually learn the finer points of how to play. It can be frustrating to watch but we need to play the long game with him. Having Blake break out as a top 6 option for us in 2027 is invaluable for a contending team.
