If they want to succeed this season, the Detroit Red Wings know they need to axe the number of slashing penalties they are being assessed. The Wings picked up another pair of slashing minors in Wednesday’s 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Niklas Kronwall and Justin Abdelkader being the culprits. After the Wings had battled back from a 4-1 deficit to get to within one goal of the Leafs, Kronwall was in the box when Morgan Rielly tallied a power-play goal to put Toronto ahead 5-3. Through seven games, the Wings have been assessed 10 slashing minors under the NHL’s new standard, which seeks to put an end to slashes high up on the stick and especially across the hands. “It’s tough because you want it consistently called but game in and game out the standard’s different,… said Abdelkader, who’s been called for slashing in each of Detroit’s last two games. “It’s tough because there’s some obvious ones, and then there’s some you shake your head at and wonder why it’s a slash. Regardless, this is the way it is going to be going forward, so the Wings have no choice but to adjust or suffer the consequences. “We’ve all got to get on the same page and obviously we gotta be aware of our sticks, because you just don’t know at times what they’re gonna call,… Abdelkader said. “Sometimes it’s second nature for a lot of us, because it hasn’t been a penalty in the past. You’ve got to break those habits and make sure that you keep sticks, even if it’s not on the hands, away from the body.… Referees are human, just like the players, and one arbiter’s interpretation of what’s a slash may differ from the fellow blowing the whistle the next game, and that’s where the Wings are struggling to grasp this new concept. “With the slashing, at the end of the night, it’s a little different each night,… said Detroit coach Jeff Blashill, who nonetheless offered a simple solution to his players. “Keep your stick off the hands. I don’t like stick on hands anyway, I like stick on puck. “That’s what we’re trying to make sure we do with our team.… DeKeyser Skating Defenseman Danny DeKeyser, who has missed four games now with an ankle sprain, has skated briefly twice this week. Depending on who you ask, you get a different response regarding the timetable for DeKeyser’s return to action. “I’m not gonna set a timetable on it yet but certainly he’s making progress on it,… was all Blashill had to offer. DeKeyser was more precise in his assessment. “A week is a pretty decent timeline,… DeKeyser said. “If it keeps progressing, maybe before that but we’ll see how it goes.… DeKeyser, who turned over on the ankle while blocking a shot in the game at Dallas, recognizes that he’s still a long way from 100 percent comfortable skating on the ankle. “It’s still somewhat weak doing certain stuff, cutting in, stuff like that,… DeKeyser said. “I just want to make sure it’s ready to go in the corners when guys are leaning on you. You’ve got to make sure it’s strong enough to hold that stuff up. “You don’t want to get hurt again.… Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer
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