NHL on NBCSN: Mantha makes already-beefy Capitals that much bigger

By Apr 13, 2021, 10:00 AM EDT
NHL on NBCSN: Mantha makes already-beefy Capitals that much bigger
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NBCSN’s coverage of the 2020-21 NHL season continues with the Tuesday’s matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals. Capitals-Flyers coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.

During a recent NBCSN telecast of a Capitals game, Tom Wilson left Brian Boucher and others chuckling when he referred to Alex Ovechkin as “The Big Guy.”

If Alex Ovechkin wasn’t already hanging around to spoil it, someone could easily ask: which Big Guy?

Ovechkin, of course, is a large hockey human (6-foot-3, listed at 238 lbs.,) but so is Wilson, as are quite a few other key Capitals. While professional athletes can be cagey about their height and weight in ways not that different from WWE superstars, it’s striking that the Capitals only boast one defenseman listed under 6-feet-tall (Dmitry Orlov, a hair away at 5-foot-11).

[CAPITALS-FLYERS PRE-GAME COVERAGE BEGINS AT 6:30 P.M. ET – NBCSN]

Upon hearing of the shocking Anthony Mantha – Jakub Vrana trade, people debated if the Capitals overpaid, especially considering the picks involved. Some wonder if Vrana’s flat-out better than Mantha, or that they might as well consider it a tie.

So, there’s some debate that Vrana could actually be just as much of a catch as Mantha. But there’s no denying that the Capitals got that much bigger by trading for Anthony Mantha (6-foot-5, 234 lbs.).

And it sounds like this was by design, even if the opportunity might have fallen into the Caps’ laps.

If travel goes as planned, hockey fans can see how Mantha can make the Capitals bigger (and better?) as soon as Tuesday’s game vs. the Flyers on NBCSN.

Capitals valued Mantha’s blend of size, skill for some time

After trading for Mantha, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan explained that the team thought highly of his mix of size and skill for some time.

“We have really liked Anthony for quite a while now,” MacLellan said, via the team website. “I like a lot of the attributes: the size, the skill, the shot, the scoring ability. He is a really good skater for his size. It’s a player that we’ve liked and talked about a lot in our room, and we had a chance to acquire him, so we went out and got him.”

To MacLellan, Mantha’s size shines through in his strength on the puck, rather than “physically running over people.”

Both the eye test and the numbers back up the notion that Mantha is more than just a “big body.”

Pondering where he might fit

The Capitals don’t just have (often-large) forwards and defensemen to roll out for line combinations. There are also big personalities firmly established in certain roles. That’s where things might be interesting regarding Anthony Mantha, who has to hope that he’ll get more reps than Jakub Vrana did.

Of course, the Capitals traded for a player in Mantha who isn’t a typical deadline rental. Instead, he’s on a very team-friendly $5.7 million AAV through 2023-24. They can experiment with different setups.

MacLellan mentioned as much, throwing out an interesting set of possibilities for Mantha.

“The coaches can move him around a little bit,” MacLellan said, via The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir (sub required). “He is going to have three good centers that he can play with. … He’ll get some power-play time. He’s really good net-front presence, could be a goal line guy. We are going to put him in offensive situations. He is a smart player that can play with smart players.”

Would Mantha work better on the top or second power-play unit?

Ideally, the Capitals would be smart about finding the fit(s) that bring out the best in Mantha. Again, Vrana — a different, but quite good forward in his own right — struggled to gain top opportunities.

In particular, it will be interesting to see if Mantha can snag occasional reps on the Capitals’ top power play unit. During the last 10 games, easily the most common unit was one that wouldn’t surprise you. Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, John Carlson, and T.J. Oshie formed that PP unit, via Left Wing Lock.

Being that Mantha isn’t afraid to unleash his shot, maybe it wouldn’t work to deploy him with Ovechkin in certain circumstances. Theoretically, Mantha could be the focal point of a second unit. Or, if the Capitals got experimental, they could even try something closer to an even split (maybe pair Ovechkin with one of Kuznetsov or Backstrom, and Mantha with the other?).

Ultimately, the best answer might boil down to mixing and matching. Are the Capitals trying to make too many cute passing plays on the power play? Maybe set up a “pick your poison” situation where Ovechkin and Mantha both could be one-timer threats. If things get stale at even-strength, the Capitals could easily move Mantha and others around.

It all sounds like a good problem to have … especially if Peter Laviolette uses Mantha more than he usually deployed Vrana.

More NHL News

Golden Knights take 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final with 7-2 win over Panthers
Ducks hire former Leafs, Islanders assistant Greg Cronin as head coach
Canadiens sign Cole Caufield to 8-year, $62.8 million extension

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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

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    Golden Knights take 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final with 7-2 win over Panthers

    Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 11:49 PM EDT
    Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
    2 Comments

    LAS VEGAS – Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and started an early blitz that chased the NHL’s hottest postseason goalie, and the Vegas Golden Knights seized control of the Stanley Cup Final with a 7-2 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 2 on Monday night.

    Adin Hill continued his stellar play in net with 29 saves for the Golden Knights, who grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

    “We finished some plays,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “It’s a good performance for us. Our guys were ready to play.”

    Marchessault also had an assist to finish with three points. His 12 postseason goals set a Golden Knights record, with all coming after the first round.

    Brett Howden scored twice for the Knights, who also got goals from Alec Martinez, Nicolas Roy and Michael Amadio. Six players had at least two points for Vegas, all 18 Knights skaters were on the ice for even-strength goals and their nine goal scorers through the first two games are a Stanley Cup Final record. The Knights’ seven goals tied a franchise mark for a playoff game.

    It was too much for Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who was removed 7:10 into the second period down 4-0. It was the fifth time in 12 games the Knights have chased the opposing goalie.

    “We can be a little better in front of our goaltender,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “I got him out to keep him rested.”

    Matthew Tkachuk and Anton Lundell scored for Florida.

    Teams that take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final are 31-3 in the expansion era. The Panthers will try to buck history beginning with Game 3 on Thursday in Sunrise, Florida.

    Hill once again brought his feistiness as well as his A-game. He stopped Carter Verhaeghe on a breakaway in the first, and later that period hit Tkachuk, who was in his net, with his blocker and then slashed him with his stick.

    “He’s been unreal for us,” Vegas forward William Carrier said. “He’s been unbelievable.”

    The Knights were dominant early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Marchessault and Martinez. It was Vegas’ third game in a row with a power-play goal, its first such stretch since Christmas week.

    The Panthers lost their biggest, toughest defenseman early in the game when Radko Gudas was injured on a hit by Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev. Gudas left 6:39 in and did not return.

    That was one of several big hits by Barbashev, the Golden Knights’ biggest trade-deadline acquisition, a Stanley Cup champion with St. Louis in 2019. Barbashev broke the sternum of Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard during the playoffs last year, also on a clean hit.

    Vegas had its own scare late in the second period when Jack Eichel was nailed in the right shoulder by Tkachuk. Eichel returned in the third and set up Marchessault’s second goal for his second assist of the game.

    “We did a good job managing momentum tonight,” Eichel said. “And we got some timely goals.”

    Ducks hire former Leafs, Islanders assistant Greg Cronin as head coach

    Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 2:18 PM EDT
    Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
    3 Comments

    ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Anaheim Ducks have hired veteran NHL assistant and AHL head coach Greg Cronin to be their new head coach.

    Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek announced the decision to hire the 60-year-old Cronin, who will be a first-time NHL head coach.

    Cronin has 12 years of experience as an NHL assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs and in two stints with the New York Islanders. The Massachusetts native has been the head coach of the AHL’s Colorado Eagles since 2018, and he spent six years as a collegiate head coach at Northeastern.

    Verbeek called Cronin “the ideal fit” to take over a young, rebuilding team.

    “I felt we needed a teacher of the finer points of the game, and someone who has worked extensively over time with talented young players, helping them develop into successful NHL players,” Verbeek said. “Greg has done all that and more.”

    Cronin replaces Dallas Eakins, whose contract wasn’t renewed in April after the Ducks finished their fourth consecutive losing season of his tenure. Anaheim finished in last place in the overall NHL standings at 23-47-12.

    The Ducks never finished higher than sixth in the Pacific Division during Eakins’ four years in charge. They’ve missed the playoffs in a franchise-record five straight seasons, and Anaheim was the NHL’s worst defensive team of the 21st century by several measures during the just-completed season.

    Cronin takes over a struggling team that is still loaded with young talent, including the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft and a wealth of farm prospects seemingly ready to break into the NHL. Anaheim has a solid long-term base with playmaking center Trevor Zegras, two-time All-Star Troy Terry and promising forward Mason McTavish.

    Cronin has never led an NHL bench, but he interviewed for the Boston Bruins’ vacancy a year ago.

    He becomes only the Ducks’ fourth permanent head coach since Henry and Susan Samueli bought the franchise from Disney in 2005, joining Randy Carlyle, Bruce Boudreau and Eakins.

    Canadiens sign Cole Caufield to 8-year, $62.8 million extension

    Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 2:05 PM EDT
    David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
    2 Comments

    MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens signed Cole Caufield to an eight-year, $62.8 million contract extension.

    The deal, which will pay the 22-year-old winger an average annual salary of $7.85 million, runs through the 2030-31 season.

    Caufield scored 26 goals and added 10 assists in 46 games in 2022-23 before he underwent season-ending surgery on his right shoulder in February.

    Despite missing nearly half the season, Caufield led the Canadiens in goals for the second consecutive season, tied with Nick Suzuki.

    Montreal selected Caufield in the first round (15th overall) of the 2019 draft.

    Since making his NHL debut in 2020-21, the forward has 84 points (53 goals, 31 assists) in 123 NHL games.

    Vegas Golden Knights come back to beat Florida Panthers in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final

    Associated PressJun 4, 2023, 12:40 AM EDT
    Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
    4 Comments

    LAS VEGAS – Back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in five years and trailing the Florida Panthers less than 10 minutes into Game 1, the Vegas Golden Knights sent a very clear message.

    “We were ready,” Jonathan Marchessault said.

    Ready and dominant. Vegas rallied from an early deficit, got the go-ahead goal from Zach Whitecloud with just over 13 minutes left and arguably the best save of the playoffs from Adin Hill and beat Florida 5-2 Saturday night to take the lead in the best-of-seven series.

    “We kept out composure, and it was good,” said Marchessault, one of six original Knights players left from the start of the franchise in 2017 who scored the tying goal in the first period. “We just wanted to play the right way and be disciplined, and tonight we were able to be the better team.”

    Whitecloud put Vegas ahead, a crucial penalty kill followed and captain Mark Stone scored an insurance goal that was reviewed for a high stick and confirmed. Reilly Smith sealed it with an empty-netter to make the score look more lopsided than the game.

    The combination of that offense and Hill’s 33 saves put Vegas up after a feisty opener between Sun Belt teams who wasted little time getting acquainted with big hits during play and plenty of post-whistle pushing and shoving.

    “It’s exactly what we expected,” said Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore, who scored his first goal of the playoffs and ended a 27-game drought dating to March 7. “That’s how they wanted to play. We were just trying not to play into it.”

    That stuff is just beginning. Game 2 is Monday in Las Vegas.

    Before the Panthers even get a chance to respond, they ratcheted up the physical play late after falling behind by two. A handful of penalties resulting from a fracas with 4:24 remaining left the Florida bench well short.

    The outcome was determined long before that.

    After falling behind on a short-handed goal by Eric Staal that sucked the life out of the crowd of 18,432, the Golden Knights rallied for their ninth comeback win this playoffs. Marchessault – known since arriving in Las Vegas for scoring big goals – answered before the end of the first period.

    Early in the second, Hill made a desperation stick save to rob Nick Cousins of what would have been a sure goal. The save was reminiscent of the one Washington’s Braden Holtby made against Vegas – in the same crease – five years ago.

    “That’s an unreal save – it’s a game-changer,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “You need those saves at key moments.”

    Giving up a tying goal to Anthony Duclair with 10.2 seconds left in the second did not slow the Golden Knights’ momentum much. Whitecloud’s goal, with two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky screened and unable to see, fired up fans once again.

    Bobrovsky, in the final for the first time, downplayed any reason for concern after stopping 29 of 34 shots and losing for just the second time in 12 games this postseason.

    “I played a good game,” Bobrovsky said. “I played a solid game. They created some good chances other than goals. They had lots of good scoring chances, and that was fun.”

    Part of the fun came when play was stopped.

    Less than 10 minutes in, Hill was none too happy about Nick Cousins crashing into his crease and gave the agitating Panthers winger a jab that incited a handful of scrums. During the second period, Matthew Tkachuk let Vegas’ Nic Hague know he wasn’t thrilled about a hit in the corner on Cousins and a collision with Brandon Montour after the whistle.

    “If guys are going to come in my crease and try to push me around, I’m going to stand my own ground,” Hill said. “I’m not going to do anything too crazy or get too wild, but, yeah, I’ve got to stand up for myself.”

    Florida coach Paul Maurice, back in the final for the first time since 2001, displayed a similarly calm demeanor as he did all the way back in the first round, when his team fell behind 1-0 then 3-1 to NHL-best Boston before winning in seven.

    “It’s going to be tight,” Maurice said. “Everybody breathe.”

    The Golden Knights are in the final for the second time in six years of existence, five years after making it in their inaugural season. Vegas won the opener in 2018 and lost the series to Washington in five games.

    The Panthers are back playing for the Cup for the first time since 1996. Florida got swept by Colorado in that final 27 years ago, 18 months before Tkachuk, the team’s leading scorer this playoffs, was born.

    It’s the 66th different matchup of teams in the Cup final in NHL history and the 46th since the expansion era began in 1967-68. This is the first time since Washington-Vegas and just the third time since the turn of the century in which the final features two teams who have never won the league’s championship.