Getting that next goal has often proven to be an insurmountable task for the Detroit Red Wings this season, and part of the problem of late is that the power play has been powerless to help.
The Wings have gone three straight games without a power-play goal for just the second time this season and are 0-for-9 with the man advantage in that span which saw the team go 1-0-2.
“Obviously it hasn’t been good enough here for a while,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “We actually worked on it a lot on (at practice) Saturday as well and it didn’t pay off (Sunday) unfortunately when we needed it to but that doesn’t mean you stop working on it.
“We want to get back to the basics a little bit on our power play and hopefully it has a positive impact come tomorrow night.…
By getting back to the basics, Blashill means putting more pucks to the net and to stop trying to make the pretty play.
“The word I use is deliver it to the net,… Blashill said. “That can be a shot, that can be a shot-pass, that can be a play down to the guy at the net front and him kind of jam the net.
“Someone needs to deliver the puck to the net and create more chaos and people at the net.…
The Wings also went three games without a power-play goal from Oct. 16-21, going 0-for-11 in that span. The Wings finished November four-for-37 with the man advantage over the course of the month. The Wings haven’t scored two power-play goals in a game since Oct. 31 at Ottawa.
Detroit’s power play is 26th in league at 15.8 percent. Last season it was second in the NHL at 23.5 percent.
Jurco Out Back in the Detroit lineup for Sunday’s loss to Florida, forward Tomas Jurco will once again be a spectator as the Wings tangle Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena with the Buffalo Sabres and Blashill found it difficult to put into words what it will take for Jurco to garner a regular presence in the team.
“That’s a tough question,… Blashill said. “I live in a day-to-day world and right now, he had the opportunity (Sunday), it’s one game, I want to put Pulkky (Teemu Pulkkinen) back in. That’s the way it goes. We’ll see.…
Blashill would like to for Jurco to add more to his repertoire and plans to work with him as a penalty killer in practice to see if he’s up to snuff.
“Jurcs is somebody who if he can become comfortable on the penalty kill that gives you a chance to fight your way into the lineup on a regular basis,… Blashill said. “That’s something we’ve discussed that I know he’s working toward. There’s so little difference between guys, it might be a little specialty skill that gets you in the lineup.…
If that’s what it’s going to take to get him a spot, Jurco is willing to do it, even though he admits it’s not his first choice of assignment.
“This is the NHL,… Jurco said. “You don’t have that much opportunity. There is another 12 great hockey players here, I mean forwards. It’s tough. This is how it is. I know that I won’t get … sometimes I have to play different roles.
“I don’t feel comfortable. It’s not what I would love to do, but I have to do. That’s how it goes.…
Another change will see Brendan Smith back in on defense for Jakub Kindl.
Petr Mrazek is in goal Tuesday and Jimmy Howard will get the nod Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes.
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