For the most part, they’re the guys Detroit Red Wings like to gripe about the most, but according to Wings coach Jeff Blashill, they’re also guys who help the team win, even if the contributions they make aren’t easily measured in a game summary.
We’re talking about role players such as Joakim Andersson and Luke Glendening, who many Detroit fans believe should be giving way to someone more offensively gifted like Tomas Jurco or perhaps one of the up-and-comers down on the farm with AHL Grand Rapids.
The thing is, this isn’t fantasy hockey. Someone has to defend. Someone has to block shots. Someone has to kill penalties.
Blashill would much rather utilize Andersson, Glendening and Drew Miller in those roles as much as possible, and does anyone really want to see Gustav Nyquist or Tomas Tatar out there when the Wings are shorthanded, sacrificing their bodies in front of shots?
“I think everybody’s got to find ways to bring something to the table that other guys don’t,… Blashill explained. “That’s part of the competition within your team.…
It’s the main reason Andersson finds himself in the lineup and the more skilled Jurco does not. If Jurco isn’t scoring, he doesn’t bring the sort of versatility and defensive acumen that Andersson can supply.
“Andy does a real good on the penalty kill,… Blashill said. “He’s been strong on the puck. I think he’s been really good to be honest with you. We can put him at center, we can put him at wing. He gives us some flexibility once the game gets going.…
As for Glendening, it’s his tenacity that makes him valuable. He plays hockey with a football mentality and is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed defensively, even if it means he will endure his fair share of personal pain.
Blashill blames himself for Glendening’s slow start to the season, believing that by removing Glendening from his fourth-line center role, he placed him in situations that did not suit his game.
“From what I saw we tried to do certain things to maybe make him more important and effective and maybe made him less important,… Blashill said. “So that was a mistake on my part.…
Where he is now allows Glendening to fulfill his main assets, checking and being a pest.
“We’ve gotten him back into a spot where he has opportunities to match up against other team’s best centers in particular,… Blashill said. “He’s a pain to play against. He’s hard to play against because he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s very smart defensively and he plays hard.
“We want (the fourth line) to do those things, but the best defense is spending time in the other team’s zone. We’d like them to spend as much time in the (offensive) zone as possible.…
Learning how to play effectively without the puck is what finally earned Landon Ferraro a spot with the Wings out of training camp for the first time in his four seasons as a pro.
“Landon I think has improved his game throughout his time,… said Blashill, who coached Ferraro in Grand Rapids. “I’ve had the chance to coach him for three years. To me he’s taken steps toward becoming an elite defensive forward in terms of his defensive skills.
“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have offensive skills. He does. But as we talked earlier, part of the process of getting yourself in the lineup is to be real good defensively. I thought he had has his best games in the last little bit. Hopefully he takes another step forward.…
The only change from the lineup that beat Tampa Bay will see Petr Mrazek get the nod in goal over Jimmy Howard.
No Movember ’Stache For Blash November may be moustache month, but Blashill intends to keep his upper lip clear of any excess growth.
“No, not a chance,… Blashill said. “I like to stay married. Mrs. Blashill wouldn't be thrilled with that. I'm lucky I hang onto her as it is so I'm not going to add a moustache to the mix.…
Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg, owner of one of the NHL’s richest crop of facial hair, agreed that Blashill’s strategy was probably for the best.
“I do,… Zetterberg said. “I think facial hair and moustaches are probably better for the players.…
Zetterberg’s wife Emma is a fan of his bushy beard.
“Yeah,… Zetterberg said. “I look 15 if I don’t have a beard.…
He doffs the beard after the season ends when he’s out of the public eye, growing it back in time for training camp.
“I usually go (and shave) right after the season,… Zetterberg said. “Last time I see you (media) for three months and then I get some sun on my skin.…
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