Fourth line getting to know one another

For one guy, it’s been his place of on-ice residence since he arrived in the NHL. But as far as his linemates are concerned, one has never been here at this level, and the other wasn’t even here a little over a week ago. The fourth line of the Detroit Red Wings has undergone some serious revamping this season, what with the departures of mainstays from last season such as Drew Miller and more recently, Riley Sheahan. Now, when center Luke Glendening looks to his left, he sees newcomer Scott Wilson, the man acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Sheahan. When he turns to his right, he spies Martin Frk, out of favor among the top nine forwards following Andreas Athanasiou’s recent return from self-imposed exile due to a contract holdout. Since Detroit coach Jeff Blashill insists he doesn’t intend to juggle his lines again for quite some time, this odd trio will be given plenty of time to get to know one another. “I think it takes a little bit to get used to the system and the guys but they’ve made it pretty easy to switch over to this team,… Wilson said. “I’m pretty excited to be here.… Even though he’s displayed an aptitude for putting the puck in the net - Wilson scored eight goals in 78 games for the Pens last season and added another three in 20 games en route to a Stanley Cup title - filling a fourth-line role is no problem for him. “At the beginning of the year I wasn’t even playing for Pittsburgh, so obviously being in the lineup, I’m trying to bring some energy, trying to make plays when I can,… Wilson said. “Coach always says you’ve got to have the confidence to make plays out there and not worry about making mistakes. That’s what I’ve been trying to get at, trying to get my confidence back a little bit and just making plays when I can.… Scoring is what put Frk in the NHL and quickly put him in the limelight when he tallied three times in his first four games with the Wings. But until his assist in Tuesday’s win over the Arizona Coyotes, Frk had gone pointless in eight straight games, relegating him to a role he hasn’t filled since his early AHL days with the Grand Rapids Griffins. “You gotta do what you have to do on the fourth line,… Frk said. “We’re gonna pressure them. We don’t want to play in our zone, we want to play in their zone. There will be less scoring chances but when we get it we want to make sure we score a goal from it. “We just gotta go grind it. It’s a hard job on the fourth line but, you know what? I love it and I’ll take it. I’m happy I am playing, so I will do whatever I have to do.… Off to a hot start with three goals already, Glendening sees some offensive upside for this unit that wasn’t present in Detroit’s fourth line mix in recent years. “They’re strong on the puck, they’re strong on the forecheck and I think that’s what we have to do,… Glendening said of his linemates. “We’re not going to score every night, but if we can bring some energy - just give the other guys a rest - that’s what we’re trying to do.… The prototypical fourth-line player, Wilson marvels at how well Glendening does the little things that help a team win. “I think he’s the guy even just from the past few games that I’ve played with, I’ve learned that you can really rely on him,… Wilson said. “He doesn’t make any mistakes, and he makes plays when he can. A lot of fourth-line guys aren’t able to make plays, and have the ability or the confidence to do that when not playing as many minutes. “Obviously he’s really good on the PK, and he’s pretty impressive on faceoffs. Whenever we get our offensive faceoff chances, we definitely know he’s snapping it back. It’s been nice to play with a guy like that who is confident but really reliable, too.… In their short three-game tenure together, Frk can already see signs of growth between the unit. “I think we’re getting good chemistry between us,… Frk said. “We can definitely score. We did yesterday and we got another couple of chances there. I think we did good.… Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer