Be assertive.
That is the message Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill delivered to defenseman Ryan Sproul as the rookie rearguard returns to the lineup following a five-game absence as a healthy scratch.
“Ryan Sproul needs to be assertive,… Blashill said. “When Ryan Sproul is assertive, both offensively and defensively, he’s an excellent player.…
Sproul has sat since he was minus-three in a 5-3 loss at Pittsburgh.
“The games he was in, he lost some of that assertiveness and then he’s not as good of a hockey player,… Blashill said. “You’ve got to make sure when you play, you play smart but you can’t be afraid to make a mistake. You’ve got to go attack the game.
“I think when Ryan Sproul’s assertive, he’s a really good hockey player.…
With Sproul expected to rejoin the Detroit lineup for Thursday’s home date against the Los Angeles Kings, his plan is to focus on what he’s done well while accumulating 1-4-5 numbers in 14 games, and not the minus-seven that also accompanies those numbers.
“You’ve got to take it for what’s it worth,… Sproul said. “I think on the ice that last game there, they came hard in the third and it was a tough period for us. I got caught out there a couple of times. I think that’s what he was talking about there with that.
“I did feel good for when I was in. I think I’ve just got to play off what the good things were, the positives were when I was in the lineup before.…
At the same time, Sproul recognizes that the worst thing he can do once he’s back on the ice is play with fear of failure in the back of his mind.
“Yeah, (not being) tentative is the biggest thing,… Sproul said. “I’ve just got to make sure I come in and work hard and play the game that I know I can instead of being nervous.
“You’ve got to not worry about that stuff. I think the more you worry about it, the more nervous you play and the more mistakes you actually make. I think tonight it’s just keep it simple and don’t worry about making mistakes.…
That’s easier said than done for someone with just 15 games of NHL experience on his resume.
“I think as you go through time as a young player, and I think we’re seeing this with Tomas Jurco, you worry less about mistakes and you just play,… Blashill said. “You realize everybody makes mistakes.
“It’s not that you’re careless at all. You’re not. You’re playing smart but you’re not going to let things drag you down at all. I think that’s a matter of time and maturity.…
Jonathan Ericsson (back spasms) is also expected back in the lineup Thursday. Blashill wouldn’t confirm any changes to his group but if both Sproul and Ericsson are in, it would seem likely that Brian Lashoff would be the odd man out.
Helm Improving Out since Nov. 18 with a shoulder injury, Detroit forward Darren Helm is steadily progressing and was able to skate with the team for the first time Thursday morning.
“I’ve been skating for a little bit,… Helm said. “Each day it’s been getting a little bit better and better. It’s definitely encouraging and I’m pretty optimistic that I’ll be healthy hopefully around the New Year time.…
Helm was injured when checked by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nikita Nesterov during a Nov. 15 game at Joe Louis Arena.
“I just dislocated my shoulder,… Helm said. “It was quite painful but our docs got in pretty quick and we started the rehab process right away.…
Surgery wasn’t performed but the damage to the shoulder will be reassessed in the off-season.
“We’re going to take six to eight weeks to see if I can rehab,… Helm said. “If it feels fine, then I’ll play and we’ll look at options at the end of the year. I had the same kind of issue three or four years ago, I was able to rehab and play through it and not need surgery at the end of the year.
“So I’m hoping that we can do the same thing this year and just get through this season and have a really strong offseason of rehabbing and not have to worry about any kind of surgery and just put that behind us.…
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