DETROIT – Jakub Vrana and Anthony Mantha, as the principals in a significant trade, will be linked together for years, their performances and production compared and contrasted.
Both have transitioned well to their new surroundings, making a quick impact on their new team.
Mantha scored a goal in each of his first four games with the Washington Capitals.
Vrana matched that output on Thursday with his first career four-goal game in the Detroit Red Wings’ 7-3 victory over the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena.
Vrana displayed his shot, scoring a wicked one-time wrister in the first period off a pass from Filip Zadina on a two-on-one. He showed his hands, scoring on a redirection in the second period and a backhand rebound in the third. He flashed his speed, scoring on a breakaway in the third.
“He’s fast and he can shoot it, those two things are undeniable,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “The goals were goal-scorer’s goals, a lot of them, the way he finished. When you have that ability to finish, it can really alter a game.”
Vrana has five goals and an assist in four games with the Red Wings and 16 goals in 43 games overall.
The Red Wings knew they were getting a goal-scorer in the April 12 trade in which they also acquired veteran winger Richard Panik, a first-round pick this year and a second-rounder in 2022. Vrana scored 25 and 24 goals in each of the previous two seasons, in less ice time than he’ll get in Detroit. He averaged 14:22 this season with the Capitals; he is averaging 17:10 thus far with the Red Wings.
“In Washington I didn’t get as much opportunities as I get here,” Vrana said. “I like when somebody gives me a chance and I want to make the most of it and I think this is an opportunity for me.”
Vrana is the first Red Wing to score four goals in a game since Mantha in the 2019-20 home opener, also against Dallas.
Blashill said Vrana has the ability to self-generate because of his speed. His five goals have come on only 10 shots.
“That’s what speed guys can do. They don’t need necessarily great passes,” Blashill said. “I also think opportunistic is you can score on one shot. Some guys need 10 shots to score, some guys can score on one. He’s one of those guys that really has a special ability to score goals.
“When you have a guy who can score in just one instant, one shot, he can change the complexion of the game.”
Blashill would like to see Vrana become a more well-rounded player.
“Him and I have talked of really honing in on winning stick battles and being strong on his stick,” Blashill said. “That’s a big area of focus for him. The last two games he’s done a good job with it. He seems to understand, be receptive to the coaching, and getting better at it.”
Blashill said Panik had his best game as a Red Wing, too. He gave his team a 3-0 lead with 10.3 seconds remaining in the first period by racing to the net and swatting in a loose puck that Anton Khudobin let get through him and then lost track of.
“He’s the one that lobbed it up in the air and then won the race back to the net, stayed on it and scored,” Blashill said. “It’s a bit of a lucky break that the goalie didn’t cover it, but you get lucky breaks when you do things right and I thought he did it right by winning that puck battle to begin with.”
Vrana and Panik left a Stanley Cup contender and joined a team that is going to be in the rebuilding process for the foreseeable future.
Vrana, an impending restricted free agent the Red Wings likely will sign to a long-term contract this summer, looks forward to the future.
“I came here trying to fit in as soon as possible,” Vrana said. “So far there’s been ups and downs. We are not in the playoffs; we’re trying to do the best we can every game to make it count. We’re trying to build something here going into the future.”
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The Link LonkApril 23, 2021 at 05:03PM
https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2021/04/jakub-vrana-showing-red-wings-speed-hands-shot-in-fast-transition.html
Jakub Vrana showing Red Wings speed, hands, shot in fast transition - mlive.com
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