If Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill were to list three things that right-winger Tomas Jurco needs to do in order to regain permanent residence within the team’s lineup, the list would read something like this:
Skate. Skate. Skate.
“It’s not that Jurco can’t do other things,… Blashill explained. “But I think one of the things that can really separate him is he is a big body at 6-2 and he can skate. So he’s got to use that skill set first, then from there, to me, that’s kind of the fire starter. Then the rest of the game follows.
“Hopefully he can get in on the forecheck using his skating, spend time in the O-zone then spend more time in the O-zone by tracking hard.…
Jurco will be granted his first opportunity to put Blashill’s theory into practice Tuesday as the Wings play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Joe Louis Arena in a rematch of last season’s first-round playoff series that the Lightning captured in seven games en route to earning the NHL’s Eastern Conference title.
Apparently, the coach’s message is coming through loud and clear to the player.
“I’ve just got to skate a lot, work hard you know,… Jurco said. “That’s what Blash wants from me in the fourth line, so I’m going to do my best to work hard and maybe create some offense.…
A two-time 30-goal scorer in junior and author of eight goals in 36 games as a Red Wings rookie in 2013-14, Jurco fell to three goals in 63 games last season and is at a loss to explain why his scoring touch vanished.
“I don’t know, it’s hard to say what I did different,… Jurco said. “If I knew I would do it last year. Obviously my first year there were lots of injures and we played a lot, our line with (Riley) Sheahan and Tats (Tomas Tatar).
“We were sometimes first power-play line, so that helps lots for sure when you’re on the ice a lot. You feel the puck more and we created lots of offense.…
Tuesday will mark a milestone for Jurco, as he plays in his 100th NHL game.
“Yeah, I didn’t even realize that it’s 100,… Jurco said. “It’s gone by really fast.
“I remember my first game here and it seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago.…
Landon Ferraro will come out of the lineup to make room for Jurco and Blashill admitted he struggled with the notion of messing with a 2-0 group.
“We want to put in the best lineup every night to give ourselves a chance to win,… Blashill said. “We’re in a spot right now where we’re sitting very good players out. I thought Landon Ferraro played very good on Saturday. Those are very hard meetings to have when somebody plays really good, but yet you’re taking them out.
“(Forward) Joakim Andersson (who has yet to play) is somebody I believe a lot in. (Injured forward Darren) Helm’s not ready. So it’s splitting hairs a lot.
“We think we’ve got some really good players. We just thought tonight this was the right spot for Jurco.…
Dylan Larkin will move back to his spot on a line with Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader, while Johan Franzen will play with Brad Richards and Tatar and Gustav Nyquist moves in alongside Sheahan and Teemu Pulkkinen. Jurco skates on the fourth line with Luke Glendening and Drew Miller.
The defense remains unchanged and Jimmy Howard gets the nod in goal for the 7:30 p.m. start.
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