Injuries Ravage Second Line

So much for that feel good win over the Dallas Stars. A day later, the Detroit Red Wings were suddenly riddled with the injury. Two-thirds of Detroit’s No. 2 forward line won’t be available for Tuesday’s game at Columbus against the Blue Jackets. Both Frans Nielsen and Andreas Athanasiou, who have formed a solid unit along with Thomas Vanek, are not expected to play Tuesday due to undisclosed injuries. “Nielsen won’t make the trip,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill told Mlive.com. “I would suspect he’s out tomorrow and Thursday (against the New Jersey Devils). I don’t know past that. “AA is going to make the trip. He’s doubtful is how I’d list him for tomorrow. There’s still a chance. We’ll evaluate again in morning, but I would list him as doubtful.… This development likely means some work at center for rookie Michael Rasmussen. “He’ll get some shifts at center for sure,… Blashill said. “We’ve got options, we can go 12 (forwards) and six (defensemen) and play Witter (Luke Witkowski) up front. We can go 11 and seven, playing seven D, so we’ll see.… Rasmussen was looking forward to the chance to slide from the wing back to his natural center position. “They’re both pretty comfortable for me,… Rasmussen said. “I like both positions, so I think I’ll enjoy it a little bit.… Staying Put Rasmussen isn’t going back to junior, at least not at the present time, Blashill confirmed. He will play his 10th game of the NHL season on Tuesday, meaning that under the CBA, one year of Rasmussen’s entry-level contract will be used up. “Obviously tomorrow is the 10th game, so we told him as of today, you’re staying and you’re playing through those games,… Blashill said. “I think the biggest thing we would focus on, from my perspective, we need to win but we also need to make sure we’re doing the best thing we can for Michael Rasmussen long-term and our assessment as we stand here today is that the best thing to do is keep him here and keep playing.… Blashill felt that Rasmussen made progressive strides in the win over Dallas. “I thought Ras was excellent last night,… Blashill said. “I thought Ras took another step in the right direction. I thought he did lots of things it takes to be successful against some real big bodies. I thought he was great down low. “We need some centers and he’s somebody who’s done it. That’s why I’ll put him some shifts at center. I’ve liked him when I’ve done that before in games. I did it last night. I think he’s done a good job in his down-low coverage, so he’ll play a little center, a little wing, but it’s not to spark at all, just to utilize his flexibility as a player. But in terms of his play I thought he took a real good step again last night.… Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer