Andrew Mangiapane is one pretty passer

It would not be surprising if @Andrew Mangiapane hunted ducks in the off-season, since he seems to play his most lethal hockey against Anaheim. Netting the first hat trick of his NHL career against the Ducks on Monday afternoon, Mangiapane upped an already admirable ante set last Thursday in Disneyland.

In a game jammed with memorable highlights, Andrew Mangiapane’s assist on the second goal in that 6-0 wallop might have been the brightest. He flaunted some irrefutable finesse, patience and ingenuity to set up a sure-fire goal for @Mikael Backlund, rightfully drawing some awe to his playmaking ability.

Crafty passes, however, are nothing new for the sophomore winger. When he drives offensive play, it’s often from gifting pucks to his teammates first. Yet Mangiapane is usually just either celebrated for his speed, hands and finish or scrutinized for his size. Consider this a toast then, to a player that has whipped up some absolutely decadent assists so far this year. From the productivity stemming from these passes, the “Bread Eater” is defining himself as a blossoming playmaker, which was never clearer than on Backlund’s tap-in last Thursday.

The assist is basically a seminar on how talented passers deploy patience and intuition. Swimming in the sport’s two most precious commodities, time and space, Mangiapane drives the net with plentiful speed but zero haste. He could have flicked a forehand short side before Gibson poked at him, but he did not settle for the sharp angle shot. He could have tried shovelling the puck backhand as he swerved, but he sensed a defenceman barreling towards him. So Mangiapane delayed, foregoing two blatant shooting opportunities to instead spin and connect with Backlund on a guaranteed goal. A shoot-first mentality cutting towards the net alone would instantly fire, but Mangiapane showcases an adept playmaker’s clairvoyance by creating the best scoring chance possible in a pass instead.

No Flames fan should have been exactly shocked by this gorgeous assist though. In Mangiapane’s best game of the season against Edmonton in December, he executed another pristine passing play for an easy goal.

First, the 5’10” Flames winger out-muscles a 6’4” @Darnell Nurse, which deserves some praise alone. Sprung on a partial breakaway, Mangiapane does not immediately gun for the goal himself though. After all, he’s still contending with Nurse, so his only shooting option is a flimsy backhand from an adverse angle. An early glance at Tkachuk, however, prevents him from wasting the chance, as Mangiapane suddenly cuts back and feeds him a perfect pass for an effortless finish. Once again, Mangiapane displays not only the awareness that makes potent playmakers, but also engineers the goal itself. Mangiapane thrives specifically when he’s sharing the puck, and such playmaking potential should not go unnoticed.

Yet maybe the most crucial takeaway from these assists is that Mangiapane generates goals by himself, donating his own creativity directly to the sticks of the scorers. Stats support this conclusion, as of Mangiapane’s 12 helpers so far this year, nine have been primary assists. As a result, 75% of his total assists have been primary points, which is actually the highest ratio among all Flames forwards who have assist totals in the double digits. Now, a total of 12 assists is a smaller sample size than someone like Johnny Gaudreau’s percentage (which is 64% from a basket of 36 apples), but Mangiapane even hurdles past contemporaries in the assist column like Milan Lucic (of whose 10 assists, six have been primary) and Dillon Dube (50% out of 10 assists too). Among the Flames’ mainstay top nine, Mangiapane therefore culls more goals from his own direct passes than any other player. Simultaneously, he also piggybacks the least on teammates’ passes through secondary assists, where he boasts the fewest.

This stat can be spun multiple ways. As a top-six forward on pace for 34 points, some critics believe the sophomore belongs lower in the lineup than his usual slot. According to them, sparse secondary assist totals would merely reinforce his entire breadth of low offensive production. Others could claim that Mangiapane is just plain unlucky with his lack of secondary assists padding his stats, unable to find himself in the right place at the right time. Yet it cannot be denied that Mangiapane directly furnishes goals for the Flames at an impressive clip, thereby constructing the “right” place for himself at a higher ratio than anyone else. Plus, as seen above, these assists are often both dogged and beautiful efforts on his end.

Ultimately, Mangiapane is only 23, but he’s already stunning fans with flourishes of true playmaking ability. As his game continues to develop, it might be more apt to call the “Bread Eater” the “Bread Baker” instead, since serving up dishes seems to be his strong suit. He’s even growing more and more creative while cooking up assists too. Remember his midair pass last week against San Jose?

Bon appetit.