There’s always been a theory, a quiet belief if you will, among the people who run the Detroit Red Wings that eventually center Riley Sheahan would find his offensive touch at the NHL level.
He’s certainly unearthed it lately and Sheahan’s timing couldn’t be better as far as the Red Wings are concerned.
Sheahan netted the game winner and also collected an assist as the Wings, fighting for their playoff lives, edged the Minnesota Wild 3-2 Friday at Joe Louis Arena.
It was just Sheahan’s third multi-point game of the season, but it gave him four goals and six points in Detroit’s last five games.
In the 33 games prior to that stretch, Sheahan had scored only three goals.
“He’s got great jump right now,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “Some of that is confidence. It’s a funny thing. When you get confidence you just play better. It’s hard to explain and it’s hard to get it and you’ve go to earn it.
“He’s earned it through his work and his play. He’s playing with lots of confidence and has lots of jump in his step right now.…
Reunited of late with Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist, often Sheahan’s linemates on previous occasions in both Detroit and with the Wings’ AHL farm club in Grand Rapids, the trio has rediscovered their old chemistry.
“I don’t know, I’m just kind of building off some points I guess and having some puck luck for sure, and playing with some good players,… Sheahan said of his success. “I think all of these guys in the offensive zone are capable of making plays, so I thought Tats and Nyquie did a great job tonight and it was a lot of fun playing.…
Sheahan has equalled his career high with 13 goals, and his linemates see a different player on the ice with them.
“He's been playing great, I think,… Tatar said. “He's got good bounces right now, I think he's making good decisions and going to the net.
“He's pretty strong, a big guy. That's his role, to kind of stick around there and he has pretty good hands around the net so he can score goals for sure.
“I think he was great tonight."
Sheahan’s 6-3, 222-pound bulk, which he’s utilizing to go hard to the net, is creating both havoc for the opposition and open ice for his linemates to be at their creative best.
“That really helps me and Tats to create space,… Nyquist said. “We’re not typically the ones that are in front of the net, so he does a great job for our line there and he’s been playing real well.
“He’s made nice plays, he’s been scoring a lot of goals lately. He plays in all situations for us, he’s been real good.…
It’s that latter aspect, Sheahan’s dedication to penalty killing and playing a 200-foot game, which may have initially inhibited his offensive development as an NHLer.
“With Sheahan, he’s somebody that’s real accountable as well, so I think it takes some time for that (offensive game to evolve),… Blashill said. “Part of it is that he hasn’t spent hardly any time on the power play this year either, so that’s a difficult thing, to produce points without that.
“He’s definitely got it in him. He’s got lots of offensive ability in him.…
Power Move Sheahan’s game winner was a power-play goal, making it seven straight games scoring on the man advantage for Detroit, the best run by the team since a nine-game streak from Feb. 26-March 15, 2015.
“They’ve been very good,… Blashill said. “They’ve done a good job of delivering pucks to the net. I thought we had some chances even before that (goal).
“Just like a player, just like a team, a unit, a specialty team unit runs on confidence for sure. We’ve got good confidence right now and it’s showing.…
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