“When he’s hot, he’s one of the best in the world,” said his linemate Dylan Larkin. “You’re seeing that and he’s fun to play with.”

Those first three words are key. Mantha has flashed his considerable talent as a scorer plenty of times before—this is actually his second hat trick in his past six NHL games, dating back to last year. But he’s also suffered through cold streaks and poor decision-making that has limited his full impact. There’s no denying that Mantha, at full strength, can be a dominant part of the still-rebuilding Red Wings offense. And with restricted free agency looming next summer as motivation, maybe this is the year that Mantha just never stops scoring.