Hoping to spark a moribund power play that has gone 0-for-12 the past three games and 1-for-18 over a six-game stretch, the Detroit Red Wings will reinsert defenseman Ryan Sproul for Tuesday’s key Atlantic Division match-up at Joe Louis Arena with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“I want to see our power play be more dynamic,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “I want to see lots of shots.”

That’s one area where Sproul, with his potent point shot, can help but it’s not the only area that he should be able to impact the Detroit power play.

“I want to see him breaking the puck out, jumping up in the play, being dynamic offensively and being assertive defensively,” Blashill said.

Sproul was a healthy scratch the previous seven games.

“It’s been a while,” Sproul said. “I think it’s just a little bit of rust.

“I need to make sure I come back in and play my game and keep it simple, do little things that will make the game easier for me.”

His plan is to be another piece in the puzzle as Detroit seeks to sort out what can make its power play go.

“We’ve got guys out there, you get the puck to them and they do the work, so I’m going to be at the top tonight and make sure I’m shooting a lot,” Sproul said.

Sproul gets the call because the Wings wanted to give Niklas Kronwall, just back from a chronic knee ailment, a game off to rest.

“It could be a short leash here but I need to make sure tonight that I play a really good game and make it hard for them to take me out,” Sproul said.

Bertuzzi Down
The Wings have returned left-winger Tyler Bertuzzi to AHL Grand Rapids after a three-game stint in what was Bertuzzi’s first taste of the NHL.

“He came in and had a great call-up,” Blashill said. “I think he got better as a hockey player in those three games. It gives him a chance to look at it and say ‘What do I need to do to make sure when I come back up I’m going to stay?’

“It also gives him a chance to go down and take the confidence he has from playing real good here and take the next step as a player in that league and become an elite player.

“He can follow a path similar to what he followed in the OHL. He was a good player and then a great player. He was a good player in the American League and now he can go down and be a great player.”

Drew Miller will draw back into the lineup to fill Bertuzzi’s spot.

“It’s never easy to be out,” Miller said. “You get that extra motivation to get back in and be ready to go.”

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