McKenna: How Andrew Mangiapane’s good habits have resulted in goal-scoring explosion
Habits.
Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane has habits. Good habits.
Coaches use the word to the point of cliche. And despite its ambiguity, every player knows what it means.
Habits are what define you as a hockey player. They’re what make or break you in the eyes of management. And they’re nearly impossible to hide from.
Coming into the 2021-22 NHL season, Andrew Mangiapane had already established himself as a quality depth scorer. Over the course of the previous two campaigns, he found the back of the net 35 times in 124 games.
That’s a nice start to a young career. But so far this season, the 25-year-old has taken his game to the next level. Mangiapane has tallied 16 goals in just 23 games and sits tied with Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers for third overall in the NHL.
That scoring pace far exceeds the current $2.425 million contract he’s playing on. Mangiapane is set to become a restricted free agent after this season, but Flames GM Brad Treliving has indicated a strong desire to keep his leading goal scorer in Calgary.
“We’ve had lots of dialogue with his representative,” Treliving said on Friday’s episode of The DFO Rundown Hockey Podcast with Frank Seravalli and Jason Gregor. “We look at him as a real big piece of our team moving forward. We’ll continue to keep working through that process.
“We certainly know we have some work to get done with Andrew,” Treliving continued. “We’ll put the focus on everything he’s doing on the ice and quietly work away on business behind the scenes and hopefully at some point get something done.”
There's only one team in the NHL that has a goals-against average under 2.00 this season.
And it's the Calgary Flames.
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So what’s behind Mangiapane’s improved play? Habits. Tenacious habits.
He has that dog on a bone mentality. Mangiapane goes hard to the net and doesn’t take shifts off. The puck finds him.
I know these goals aren’t particularly glamorous. But take a closer look at the work and awareness necessary for Mangiapane to score
He shrugs off Washington Capitals forward Lars Eller and takes two hard strides towards the net. Mangiapane works to position. And it’s impressive how quickly he elevates the puck up and over Capitals goaltender Vitek Vanecek.
In the clip against the New York Rangers, pay attention to how Mangiapane provides secondary support on the faceoff. If he doesn’t win the battle and foot race to the puck, it may have never gotten to Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who wrists it just wide. Mangiapane is in a perfect position to score.
Against the Detroit Red Wings, Mangiapane stops in the slot and deposits some loose change on the backhand. It’s something I heard coaches harp on relentlessly when I played. Stop at the net. Good habits. Be strong in front.
Then against the Edmonton Oilers, Mangiapane is headed behind the net but smartly decides to slam on the brakes and reverse course. The puck finds him in front and he’s able to quickly kick the puck to his stick blade and score on the backhand. It’s a really skilled play and Mangiapane made it look easy.
Not all players are comfortable picking up pucks out of their feet or using their backhand. But it doesn’t faze Mangiapane.
What I find so impressive about this series of clips is how adept Mangiapane is at changing the angle of the shot without over-handling the puck. It’s one quick movement before the puck is off his blade. He’s both aware of his surroundings and direct in his attack. To me, that’s a sign of Mangiapane thinking the game at a high level.
But sometimes it just takes work.
Driving the puck into the San Jose Sharks net. Using his body to shield two New Jersey defenders before scoring top shelf on Devils goaltender Nico Daws. Mangiapane might only stand 5-foot-10 and weigh 184 lbs, but his limited physical size is a non-factor. He competes.
And according to Treliving, his work ethic is outstanding.
“It’s a great example of what hard work does,” the Flames GM said. “This is a guy who went through a draft and has been sort of counted out at every level he’s been at. He continues to work at his game every day. If you’re around our team he’s usually the last one on the ice, whether it’s a practice or a morning skate. So it’s really good to see him get the success and results that he’s getting.”
Mangiapane’s practice habits really shine when you consider the number of deflection goals he’s scored so far this season.
These goals take incredible hand-eye coordination. The puck is moving at over 90 miles per hour and Mangiapane is routinely getting his stick blade on it. It takes hours of practice to become proficient at tipping pucks.
It’s a skill that players have to develop on their own time. During the regular course of practice, there aren’t many chances to deflect pucks. But once practice has concluded, players are free to work on their own. And as Treliving said, Mangiapane is routinely one of the last players off the ice.
It’s a good habit to have. And Mangiapane has plenty of them.