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Abdelkader's Numbers in Free Fall |
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Justin Abdelkader hears you loud and clear. Jeff Blashill also hears the talk, and he chooses to hear none of it.
When it comes to productivity this season, you could also argue that Abdelkader is having none if it.
Abdelkader will make a bit of history when he skates his first shift for the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. It will be his 676th NHL game, moving him past Bruce McGregor into 20th in franchise history.
McGregor moved on later in his career via trade to the New York Rangers, and there’s many a Red Wing fan who’d like to see the Wings do the same with Abdelkader.
It’s certainly been a trying season for the 31-year-old left-winger. Abdelkader has gone 26 games without a goal, his last tally coming Dec. 8 against the New York Islanders. Though he’s collected a pair of assists in the past three games, Abdelkader shows just five helpers in total over that 26-game goalless drought.
For the season, Abdelkader shows 5-10-15 totals from 56 games, and chalks up some of that lack of production to a change in duties. Though lately on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist filling in for the injured Tyler Bertuzzi, Abdelkader has logged significant time on the fourth line alongside Jacob De La Rose and Christoffer Ehn.
“I think that I’ve been in a lot of different types of roles this year,” Abdelkader said. “Usually I’ve been on the power play in years past for a full season and this year I’ve been more of a penalty kill guy.
“In years past, I’ve maybe had five or six goals a year I’ve scored on the power play. When those opportunities aren’t there, when you’re not getting those goals, you’ve got to find other ways to score.
“When I’ve had chances, unfortunately they haven’t gone in. I’ve had some breakaways and things that way where in years past I’ve scored on those.”
Abdelkader potted a career-high 23 goals in 2014-15, but history is showing that in his case, that campaign was the exception and not the rule. Over his seven other full NHL seasons, he’s averaged just under 10 goals per season, and that number is bolstered by a 19-goal output in 2015-16.
Blashill won’t hear any talk about Abdelkader being in decline.
“When he scored 20, he was playing with Hank (Henrik Zetterberg) or Pav (Datsyuk),” Blashill said. “Those guys aren’t here. He’s had times where he’s played with Larkin and sometimes the production hasn’t been high when he’s played with Larks but he’s been a big piece of why we were able to produce offense because he’s standing net front and in the goalie’s eyes all the time. Sometimes those guys don’t get rewarded with points.
“There’s lots of people analytically out there, I’m one of them, trying to search for the best stats. Where’s the stat for that? Where’s the stat for taking away a goalie’s eyes? There is none. Nobody has it yet. But you don’t produce offense if you don’t take away the goalie’s eyes. He’s done a great job when he’s been up there doing that, but it hasn’t resulted in points. I’ve been happy with his game.”
Daley Returns
Defenseman Trevor Daley will be back in action Tuesday after sitting for 16 games due to a broken foot.
That likely leaves rookie Dennis Cholowski as the odd man out.
Coming To An Ehn
Ehn’s goal Sunday against Chicago was just his second of the season and his first in 17 games.
Ehn’s other NHL goal also came on the road against an original six franchise, when he tallied Dec. 23 at Toronto.
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