To make this article as effective as possible, I need a favor from you. Pick your favorite John Goodman character to read this as it makes it much more impactful, whether it’s Sully from Monsters, Inc., Pacha in The Emperor’s New Groove, or something else. Feel free to pick whatever works best for you.
We’re rolling the clock way back to 2013.
There I was. Sitting in my grandma’s favorite rocking chair in the front room of her apartment.
To set the scene, there is a rake not for yardwork. Oh no, it’s to rake the 1970’s green, shag carpet. Strands she thought so delicate that rarely did she allow anyone to vacuum the precious material. Light pecan wood paneling affixes the walls—a place frozen in time.
Bob Kaser, the voice of the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL), blared in my headphones. For the first time, the Griffins won the Calder Cup. One of the biggest parts of that historic run has returned to his roots.
Petr Mrázek ended the Detroit Red Wings just as he helped the Griffins win the Calder Cup
Color me crazy, but I’ve always loved Mrázek’s game.
He’s a bit like Simon Edvinsson and Alex Lyon; they’re a bit odd. They’re all a bit odd. Doing their own things and leaving fans, teammates, and coaches to speculate what goes on in their noggins, only to realize it would be more confusing to know.
I fancy myself a bit of an adrenaline junky. Not too intense, but the little tickle in my tummy from a roller coaster or turbulence on an airplane gets my endorphins going. So, maybe that’s why I’ve always gravitated towards Mrázek.
Although he has grown tremendously from his early days, he’s still Mrázek. Sometimes, Mrázek’s a bit over-committed to a play, abandoning his crease only to use his athleticism at the last possible second to recover. Characteristics that echo in the Grand Rapids Griffins’ current young star, Sebastian Cossa. It’s a tantalizing avenue that Mrázek may help Cossa get acclimated to the National Hockey League (NHL)—at least in spurts—next season.
While I hear the naysayers, giving up three goals and having a save percentage under .900 isn’t ideal (Mrázek ended the night with an .885 save percentage, stopping 23 of the 26 shots faced), I’m not sure how Mrázek was supposed to make any of those stops. I blame the skaters in front of Mrázek for those goals against, but if you want to blame Mrázek, that’s fine. Agree to disagree, but Mrázek still got the win.
Of course, Mrázek had run support, which had been a barren wasteland over this losing stretch. That definitely helps confidence soar. Allowing Mrázek to play more freely and openly, as he normally would.
One thing that I will say is that I appreciated the maturity in Mrázek’s game overall.
I forgot how good of a puck mover Mrázek is; it’s something he seemed super comfortable doing Wednesday night.
Other goalies in our system try to help with moving the puck. There are times their puck-moving abilities are helpful, but just as often, it seems they get flustered with the puck and just toss it to someone, anyone with their same jersey—regardless of how unavailable that guy is for a pass. Just the game prior, I remember seeing a puck get passed to a Red Wings player with two opponents all over him.
It’s quite different when a goaltender is calm under the pressure of moving pucks. When he breaks the puck out to the right guy as opposed to any guy.
There were times the breakout led to offensive zone pressure, so not only eliminating the possible goals against but also creating offensive chances for is something that Mrázek isn’t getting enough credit for. Of course, it helps to have competent defensemen and forwards to pass the puck to up the ice.
The Red Wings moving their feet seemed to help.
I understand the concerns with Mrázek that most fans have. Also, I understand that he is unlikely to be the answer in net as he is to be the answer. What I can tell you for sure is that if you grab your seatbelt and buckle up tight, it should be a fun ride to the finish line (the end of this season, wherever and whenever that might be for the Detroit Red Wings).