Detroit Red Wings Clips November 24, 2015

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1 Detroit Red Wings Clips November 24, 2015 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Red Wings' Jurco gets AHL award after strong week PAGE 3 Red Wings' Blashill glad for Ferraro's new opportunity PAGE 4 Wings Alumni, USA U-17s face off in fund-raiser tonight PAGE 5 Red Wings getting healthier, balanced scoring recently PAGE 6 Wings 2016 Stadium Classic jerseys unveiled PAGE 7 Red Wings look forward to long holiday stretch at home PAGE 9 The story of how Dylan Larkin came to wear No. 71 for the Detroit Red Wings PAGE 11 5 things to WATCH: Dylan Larkin's goal-scoring streak; Red Wings host Bruins, Oilers, Panthers PAGE 13 Detroit Red Wings unveil jersey for Stadium Series game against Colorado Avalanche PAGE 14 Red Wings' Tomas Jurco honored as AHL player of the week with Griffins PAGE 15 Red Wings hope Pavel Datsyuk, Brad Richards can continue building chemistry on same line PAGE 17 Blashill keeping close eye on Jurco

2 Red Wings' Jurco gets AHL award after strong week Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 3:43 p.m. EST November 23, 2015 Tomas Jurco is turning in quite the conditioning stint, one that could be a springboard to becoming a regular with the Detroit Red Wings. He has been named the AHL player of the week after turning in three goals and four assists in three games. The Wings sent Jurco to Grand Rapids on Tuesday, in order to get him some game action. He had not been able to break into Detroit's lineup on a regular basis. Jurco responded by setting up the winning goal in his first appearance with the Griffins on Wednesday. On Friday, he turned in three power-play goals. On Saturday, he picked up two assists. The Griffins are 3-0 with Jurco in the lineup; they were before he joined them. Jurco will play three more games with Grand Rapids, then report back to Detroit. He has continued to count against the Wings' 23-man roster and the salary cap. He should return with a good deal of confidence -- he is doing what the Wings had hoped: dominating the AHL. If the Wings continue winning (they next play Thanksgiving Eve, hosting Boston), it will be interesting to see what happens when Jurco returns. Coaches tend to stick with a winning lineup. Wings coach Jeff Blashill knows Jurco well, having coached him in Grand Rapids. Blashill has said numerous times this season that he has a long-term plan for Jurco, and Blashill usually has cited skating as one of the keys to Jurco being successful in Detroit. "I watched the first period of Wednesday's game and I thought he did some good stuff," Blashill said. "He did a good job on the forecheck, he was physical. The goals that I saw him score on the highlights were goals that are elite -- two of them, in particular, were snipes, and that is something I hope continues to build his confidence. I know he can do that. So, so far, it has been a good three games. Now he has to continue that." It's worth remembering that Jurco is still very young (he turns 23 next month). He was so good his first year in Detroit, in , when he contributed eight goals among 15 points in 36 games. But last year was a struggle -- he had just three goals among 18 points in 63 games and went months without scoring. He could have been sent to the AHL last season without waivers, but former coach Mike Babcock insisted that Jurco stay in Detroit, even as his production lacked. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 Red Wings' Blashill glad for Ferraro's new opportunity Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 6:44 p.m. EST November 23, 2015 Jeff Blashill said he was happy to see Landon Ferraro get an opportunity with another NHL team, even at the expense of the Detroit Red Wings. Ferraro, 24, was picked off of waivers by the Boston Bruins on Sunday, a day after being waived. He had no points and a minus-3 defensive rating in 10 appearances with the Wings this season. "It is never easy to lose a quality person and good player," Blashill said this afternoon. "We knew that was a risk when we put him on waivers. It's also part of the roster limits and the CBA, part of the business. "From a personal side, I am glad Landon gets a chance to play in the NHL. He has worked extremely hard for me for three-plus years. I was happy for him personally. From an organization standpoint, we made that decision, we knew that was a potential consequence and we will live with it." The Wings host the Bruins on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., FSD). Detroit Free Press LOADED:

4 Wings Alumni, USA U-17s face off in fund-raiser tonight George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 12:50 a.m. EST November 24, 2015 The Detroit Red Wings Alumni will play the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-17 team tonight in a game billed as "Pucks For Pasadena." Tickets are $10 for the game, and all proceeds will go to help the Plymouth Canton Marching Band raise money for its trip to play in the 2016 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif. The hockey game starts at 7 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth. Among the former Red Wings skating for the alumni are Larry Murphy, Dino Ciccarelli, Jimmy Carson, Petr Klima, Darren McCarty, Brent Fedyk, John Ogrodnick and Mickey Redmond. Other NHL players who will be skating for the alumni include Pat Peake, Sergei Samsonov, Wayne Presley, Chris Tamer and Craig Wolanin. Don Granato, coach of the U-17 team, said it is a special event because of whom it is helping: "It's something we can follow up on and watch as well. "We're happy to be included and certainly more than happy the Red Wings Alumni have selected to come here and play." There's been talk of having some of the players switch sides at some point, which would give the former NHL players a chance to interact more on the benches with the young players who aspire to play in the NHL one day. "Any way those guys can be involved with our kids, the better for me as a coach," Granato said. "Any way these guys can make an impression on these kids... there's so much that these kids can absorb from these days. That's what we want to get out of it." Scott Reedy, who is committed to Minnesota, leads the Under-17 team with nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 20 games. Josh Norris of Oxford, who is committed to Michigan, has seven goals, including a team-high four power-play goals. He also has seven assists for 14 points in 19 games. The Plymouth Canton Marching Band, which includes nearly 175 students, will be the seventh high school band from Michigan to perform in the Tournament of Roses Parade since It will be one of 12 bands from around the country that will perform in the parade. The band will also perform on Main Street in Disneyland. The 1973 Plymouth Canton Marching Band also performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade. The Marching Band will pay for the trip through participation fees, donations and sponsors. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

5 Red Wings getting healthier, balanced scoring recently Helene St. James, Detroit Fee Press 3:15 a.m. EST November 24, 2015 That scoring depth Jeff Blashill spoke about at season's start is beginning to show. The Detroit Red Wings came out of weekend games against big, physical opponents with four points and seven goals. For a team that has gone through some dry spells, seeing six different players score was gratifying. "I felt it was a strength," Blashill said after Monday's afternoon practice. "It didn't play out that way the first 18 games, but I still think it can be a strength, that we can have depth of scoring throughout the lineup." Practice was optional, but Blashill said the Wings, "came out of the weekend healthy." The increase in production has gone hand-in-hand with health Pavel Datsyuk has regained his timing after being back now for six games; Brad Richards returned Friday, and had two assists Saturday at St. Louis. Blashill called Datsyuk's impact on the Blues game "huge. Richie playing with him, they seem to play well together. It gave us another real powerful line." Richards and Datsyuk are both highly creative, and "for never, ever being on the ice at the same time as him, we made some plays and found each other and created some things," Richards. You never know how chemistry works, but (Teemu Pulkkinen) had some good chances, too, so hopefully we get some confidence off the other night and helping the team win offensively, and keep rolling." Sliding from center to wing, Richards said, means he has got to be "ready to shoot more than I would at center, because I am going to get pucks he made some plays the other night that didn't surprise me but still kind of, they are different than a lot of players make because he does see stuff that you don't expect. You have to be ready and you're shooting, you can get some really good chances." The Wings next play Wednesday, when they host the Boston Bruins. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

6 Wings 2016 Stadium Classic jerseys unveiled The Detroit News 2:56 a.m. EST November 24, 2015 The Red Wings on Monday unveiled the limited-edition jerseys that will be worn by the team during the 2016 NHL Stadium Series game Feb. 27 at Coors Field in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche. This is the third appearance by the Wings in an outdoor game since the season. The NHL Stadium Series jerseys will be available for purchase starting on Wednesday at the official NHL online store at shop.nhl.com and at merchandise stands throughout Joe Louis Arena during the Red Wings home game against the Boston Bruins. Additionally, the limited-edition jerseys are available at Hockeytown Authentics in Troy (1845 E. Big Beaver Road) on Wednesday starting at 11 a.m. The uniform is primarily red with white accents. The crest features a redesigned "D" logo. The single white diagonal stripe across the chest celebrates the iconic stripe of the Original Six franchise. Its diagonal placement is inspired by modern automotive aesthetics, and is a tribute to the city's automotive industry. Detroit News LOADED:

7 Red Wings look forward to long holiday stretch at home Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 8:57 p.m. EST November 23, 2015 Detroit A hockey team usually doesn t get this kind of home stand, so the Red Wings would be wise to take advantage of it. The Red Wings will play 11 of their next 13 games at Joe Louis Arena, only venturing on the road for single games Dec. 8 (in Washington) and Dec. 11 (in New Jersey). So from Thanksgiving to Christams, the Red Wings will be home except for two days. Two road games until Christmas? That s exciting, forward Brad Richards said. We should be excited about that opportunity. But there is caution. The Red Wings are only at Joe Louis Arena thus far this season, a record that will need improving if they want to move up the standings. We had a stretch of games where we weren t playing well and not doing things the way we should be and a lot of those games were at home and we lost those, forward Justin Abdelkader said. When you go on the road, you tend to play a simpler game, especially the first 10 minutes. Maybe we can carry that over to home ice and play a little simpler and not give teams the quality chances we ve given. For coach Jeff Blashill it doesn t matter where the Red Wings are playing, just as long as they continue to improve upon what they ve done. It s important just because we need wins, period, Blashill said. No matter if we were facing 13 road games, I would feel the same way. We need to find a way to win games. Now, you don t want to face the prospects of not doing well and having to face a ton of road games in January. We just have to continue to build as a hockey team, as we have and we have to continue to. Glad for Ferraro The Red Wings knew there was potential to lose forward Landon Ferraro when they placed him on waivers Saturday, so it wasn t a shock when the Bruins claimed him. With Ferraro close to returning from a knee injury, the Red Wings simply had too many bodies for roster spots. It s never easy to lose a quality person and player, Blashill said. We knew it would be a risk but it s part of the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) and part of the business. On the personal side, I m glad Landon gets a chance to play in the NHL. He s worked extremely hard for me for three years and I m certainly happy for him personally. From an organizational standpoint, we made that decision and we knew the potential consequences and we ll live with it. Player of the week 7

8 Tomas Jurco, on a conditioning assignment in Grand Rapids, was named AHL Player of the Week. Jurco injected life into a dormant Griffins offense, scoring seven points (three goals, four assists) in three games assisting on all three game-winning goals in the three games. Jurco, 22, had one assist in four games with the Red Wings, struggling to get into the lineup. My message to Jurcs was to go down there, and I wasn t going to judge purely on the scoresheet, he has to do other things, Blashill said. The reports I ve gotten is he s played real good. He s dominated from an offensive sense, which is great.... (But Jurco) did good stuff on the forecheck, he was physical, and the goals were elite. They were snipes. I hope he continues to build his confidence. Detroit News LOADED:

9 The story of how Dylan Larkin came to wear No. 71 for the Detroit Red Wings Brendan Savage on November 23, 2015 at 12:02 PM, updated November 23, 2015 at 12:04 PM DETROIT Picking a jersey number with the Detroit Red Wings isn't always an easy task for players new to the team. The Red Wings have retired the numbers of seven players Terry Sawchuk (1), Nicklas Lidstrom (5), Ted Lindsay (7), Gordie Howe (9), Alex Delvecchio (10), Sid Abel (12) and Steve Yzerman (19) so those are obviously out. The numbers 6 and 91 haven't officially been retired but both are out of circulation. Larry Aurie's No. 6 has been unofficially retired for years and No. 91 hasn't been worn since Sergei Fedorov left Detroit in So that limits what's available, something rookie Dylan Larkin found out when he prepared for his first training camp with the Red Wings this season. Larkin wore No. 19 at Michigan last season but that was obviously out of the question. And flip-flopping 19 for 91 wasn't an option either. He wore No. 25 during the Red Wings development camp the past two years and that was shaping up as a possibility. But free agency changed that just as it did his secondary plan to wear No. 17. Larkin "was 25, he was going to be 25 and we picked up Mike Green," said Red Wings equipment manager Paul Boyer. "I had to call him and say 'We got Mike Green. He trumps you.' He said OK and then he went to 17 and we got Brad Richards." Richards had worn No. 19 with the New York Rangers and No. 91 with both the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks before signing with the Red Wings as a free agent last summer. "Richie came in and I said 'You can't have 91' and he said 'I'll take 17,'" Boyer said. "Then I called Dylan and said, 'These are your choices' and it ended up 71. He picked 71." So is there any significance to No. 71? "No," Larkin said. "There wasn't much available and I was talking to some friends from Michigan. I like having a 9 in my number but 71 (was) just trying to change it up." Don't expect Larkin to change numbers should Richards leave Detroit when his oneyear contract expires. After Larkin's hot start, Boyer said a change is unlikely. Lidstrom, by the way, ran into a similar problem picking a number when he joined the Red Wings. He asked for the same number he wore in Sweden when he came to North America to play for the Red Wings. His request was for No. 9. 9

10 "'Kid, that just ain't gonna happen,'" Lidstrom said he was told. "The equipment manager set the record straight and I got my first lesson in Red Wings history." Michigan Live LOADED:

11 5 things to WATCH: Dylan Larkin's goal-scoring streak; Red Wings host Bruins, Oilers, Panthers By Ansar Khan on November 23, 2015 at 6:01 AM, updated November 23, 2015 at 11:48 AM DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings capped a successful week (3-0-1) with back-to-back wins against Los Angeles and St. Louis, a pair of big, physical teams near the top of the Western Conference standings. Now, the Red Wings will try to maintain that momentum at home, where they play their next six games and 11 of their next 13, including three this week. The offense is perking up a bit, with 12 goals and an average of 31 shots in their past four games. The Red Wings are as healthy as they have been in some time and seem to be settled with their line combinations, though that always is subject to change. Here are five things to watch this week: 1. Larkin's goal-scoring streak Dylan Larkin has scored one goal in each of the past four games, equaling the longest streak for a Red Wings teenager since Steve Yzerman in Gustav Nyquist was the last Red Wing to score in more than four consecutive games, putting together a six-game streak from March (nine goals). Larkin leads the Red Wings in goals (eight), game-winning goals (three), shots on goal (55) and plus-minus rating (plus-12). He is tied with Arizona's Max Domi for the goalscoring lead among rookies, ranks third in points (15) and first in plus-minus among rookies. 2. Datsyuk poised for 300 Pavel Datsyuk needs one goal to become the ninth Red Wing to score 300 for his career. He will become the sixth Red Wing to have 300 goals, 500 assists and 800 points, joining Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Alex Delvecchio, Sergei Fedorov and Henrik Zetterberg. Datsyuk scored his first goal in six games this season Saturday in St. Louis, his second game with Brad Richards and Teemu Pulkkinen as his linemates. 3. Trying to snap losing streak vs. Bruins No team has given the Red Wings more trouble the past couple of years than the Boston Bruins, who visit Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday (7:30, Fox Sports Detroit). The Bruins have won five in a row against the Red Wings in the regular season, including a 3-1 win at TD Garden on Nov. 14 and have won nine of their past 10 from Detroit, including the playoffs. 11

12 Led by high-end centers David Krejci (eight goals, 22 points) and Patrice Bergeron (seven goals, 19 points), Boston is first in the NHL on the power play (33.9 percent) and third in goals per game (3.26). But the Bruins are last on the penalty kill (72.5 percent). The Bruins claimed Landon Ferraro off waivers from the Red Wings on Sunday. He has been out since Nov. 6 with a knee injury. 4. Oilers, minus McDavid, visit the Joe The Edmonton Oilers make their lone appearance at Joe Louis Arena on Friday (7:30, FSD Plus), and unfortunately for Red Wings fans (but good for the team), Connor McDavid won't be in the lineup. The top pick in this year's draft was off to a hot start (five goals and 12 points in 13 games) before suffering a broken clavicle Nov. 3. The Oilers recorded a rare win vs. the Red Wings on Oct. 21 at Rexall Place. Detroit had won eight in a row and was against Edmonton prior to that. The Red Wings are in their past 31 vs. the Oilers. 5. First of four matchups with Florida Like Boston, Florida is another club the Red Wings figure to be battling for a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. The Panthers visit the Joe on Sunday (2 p.m., FSD) for the first of four meetings this season with Detroit. Florida won three of four games from the Red Wings in Jaromir Jagr, 43, leads the Panthers in goals (eight) and points (16). He had completed six NHL seasons before Larkin was born. Michigan Live LOADED:

13 Detroit Red Wings unveil jersey for Stadium Series game against Colorado Avalanche Ansar Khan on November 23, 2015 at 5:42 PM, updated November 23, 2015 at 5:57 PM DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings on Monday unveiled the jersey they will wear for their Stadium Series against the Colorado Avalanche Feb. 27 at Coors Field in Denver. It will be the third outdoor game for the Red Wings, who defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1, 2009, and lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1, The Red Wings, in a release, described the jersey this way: "The coloration of the uniform is primarily red, with simplified white accents, creating a bold, striking stadium scale visual while staying true to the color identity of the franchise. The crest features a redesigned "D" logo, updated in its design style to connect more directly with the iconic modern day Winged Wheel logo. The single white diagonal stripe across the chest celebrates the iconic stripe of this storied Original Six franchise. Its diagonal placement is inspired by modern automotive aesthetics, and is a tribute to the automotive industry that has been a foundation of the city of Detroit. Stadium size numbers on the sleeves and back have been redesigned to better connect with the modern font style of the new 'D' crest. The nameplate lettering is arched, as a way of connecting to the design of the team's current nameplate lettering." The NHL Stadium Series jerseys will be available for purchase starting on Wednesday at the official NHL online store at and at merchandise stands throughout Joe Louis Arena during the Red Wings home game against the Boston Bruins. Michigan Live LOADED:

14 Red Wings' Tomas Jurco honored as AHL player of the week with Griffins Peter J. Wallner on November 23, 2015 at 2:13 PM, updated November 23, 2015 at 6:52 PM Tomas Jurco was careful to note to a reporter the other day that his conditioning stint with the Grand Rapids Griffins is for "not more than" rather than "at least" - two weeks. Given what he did in first week in Grand Rapids, the Detroit Red Wings may get a more confident right winger back after he plays three more games with the team. The 22-year-old was named the AHL player of the week Monday after he posted a league-best seven points in three games. He had a hat trick all on power plays and a four-point game in Friday's 7-4 win against San Diego, and assisted on all three Griffins' wins last week. In his first AHL appearance last Wednesday, Jurco helped set up the winning goal with 9:49 remaining as Grand Rapids defeated Rockford, 3-2, to end the IceHogs' 10-game point streak. Jurco had one assist in four NHL games with Detroit this season before joining the Griffins. He was a member of Grand Rapids' Calder Cup championship team as a rookie in To mark the achievement, Jurco will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Griffins home game. The Griffins host Iowa on Wednesday. Michigan Live LOADED:

15 Red Wings hope Pavel Datsyuk, Brad Richards can continue building chemistry on same line Ansar Khan on November 23, 2015 at 8:03 PM, updated November 23, 2015 at 8:04 PM DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings hope a pair of playmaking centers coming back from injury can gel on the same line. Two games is a small sample size, but they like what they've seen with Pavel Datsyuk and Brad Richards in wins against the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues. Datsyuk scored his first goal in six games since returning from off-season ankle surgery Saturday in St. Louis. Richards had two primary assists in that game, setting up Datsyuk and then linemate Teemu Pulkkinen in overtime. "I thought that was Pav's best game (in St. Louis)," coach Jeff Blashill said. "I think he's gotten better and better each game. Obviously, being out all summer and missing training camp is a hard thing, so I thought his impact was huge. Richie's got elite smarts and a really good stick and they seem to play well together. It gave us another real powerful line." Richards called it a big test after missing 13 games with a back issue. "Probably not the smartest week to come back, playing back-to-back against those teams," Richards said. "I had to jump in and play and to feel the way I do today after two pretty heavy teams is a good sign." Playing on a line with Datsyuk usually helps with such a transition. "You get excited playing with players like that," Richards said. "I think for never being on the ice with him before we made some plays and found each other and created some things. Obviously, he's probably still feeling like he's getting back into it and I was probably not as patient as I will be as I get going. Also, everything felt a little quicker than normal because I've been out so long. Hopefully we can build off that." Playing on the wing requires a slight adjustment for Richards, who has played center his entire career. "I'm smart enough to figure out he's playing center so he's probably getting the puck a little more, or have the puck a little more than I would if I were center," Richards said. "A center, they usually want the puck more, so as a winger you don't have it as much. You get used to that. I've got to be ready to shoot a little more than I would at center because I'm going to get pucks that normally I wouldn't. "He made some plays the other night that didn't surprise, but still they are different than a lot of players make. He does see stuff that you don't expect. You've got to be ready and if you're shooting you can get some real good chances." 15

16 It's a line that is likely to remain intact for Wednesday's game against the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena (7:30, Fox Sports Detroit). "You never know how chemistry works," Richards said. "I've played with tons of different people. Sometimes it works and sometimes you expect something to work and it doesn't, but something random works. Pulkky had some good chances, too, so hopefully we get some confidence off the other night, helping the team win and get on a roll." Jurco named AHL player of week Tomas Jurco was named AHL player of the week Monday after collecting three goals and four assists in three games last week during his conditioning stint with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He recorded a hat trick and had assists on all three game-winning goals. "One thing I said to him was I wasn't going to judge purely on the scoresheet because I think sometimes there's a bigger story than that," Blashill said. "He's got to do other things well. The word that I've got is he's played very good. Obviously, he's scored and dominated from an offensive sense on the scoresheet, which I think is good." Blashill indicated Jurco will remain with the Griffins this week as they make a trip to Iowa (Wednesday), Milwaukee (Friday) and Lake Erie (Saturday). A conditioning stint can't exceed two weeks. "I watched the first period Wednesday because our game was later... I thought he did a good job on the forecheck, he was physical," Blashill said. "The goals I saw him score in the highlights were goals that are elite. Two of them in particular were snipes. That's something I hope continues to build his confidence. I know he can do that. So far it's been a good three games. He has to continue." Jurco has appeared in just four games this season with the Red Wings. Good opportunity for Ferraro If Landon Ferraro plays Wednesday for the Bruins, he'll be facing his former team. Boston claimed him off waivers from the Red Wings on Sunday. "It's never easy to lose a quality person, a good player; we knew that was a risk when we put him on waivers," Blashill said. "It's part of the business. From a personal side, I'm glad now he gets a chance to play in the NHL. "He's somebody who's worked extremely hard for me for three-plus years. I was happy for him personally." Michigan Live LOADED:

17 Blashill keeping close eye on Jurco By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily Posted: 11/23/15, 7:02 PM EST Updated: 29 secs ago DETROIT >> Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill isn t going to assess Tomas Jurco s conditioning stint in Grand Rapids by the stat sheet. I think sometimes there s a bigger story than that, Blashill said. He s got to do other things well. The word that I ve got is he s played very good. Obviously he s scored and dominated from an offensive sense on the scoresheet, which I think is good. I watched the first period of the Wednesday game and I thought he did some good stuff. I thought he did a good job on the forecheck, he was physical. Jurco was named the American League Hockey player of the week after registering three goals and four assists in three games. The goals I saw him score in the highlights were goals that are elite, Blashill said. Two of them in particular were snipes. That s something I hope continues to build his confidence. I know he can do that. So far it s been a good three games. He has to continue. We take it day to day but if he continues to stay down there for a few more games he s got to continue to play great. Blashill knew there was a good chance Landon Ferraro was going to get claimed off waivers, which he was Sunday by the Boston Bruins. It s never easy to lose a quality person, a good player, Blashill said. We knew that was a risk when we put him on waivers. It s also part of the roster limits and the CBA. It s part of the business. The Bruins play at Detroit, Wednesday. From a personal side, I m glad now he gets a chance to play in the NHL, Blashill said. He s somebody who s worked extremely hard for me for three-plus years. I was happy for him personally. From an organizational standpoint, we made that decision and knew the potential consequences and we got to live with them. Ferraro, 24, was a former top pick of the Wings in the 2009 entry draft (32nd overall). He played in 10 games this season and had no points, seven penalty minutes and a minus-3 rating. He has a goal and no assists in 17 career games over three seasons. The Wings play their next six games at home. I think it s important because we need wins period, doesn t matter where they re at, Blashill said. If we were facing 13 road games I d feel the same way. We ve got to find a way to win at home and on the road. With this many games at home you don t want to face the prospects of not doing well in that and then face a ton of road games in January. I think we just got to continue to build as a hockey team. I think we have and we need to continue, too. We certainly have a challenge on Wednesday. 17

18 Detroit is this year at Joe Louis Arena. I think we had a stretch where we just weren t playing good and doing things the way we should be and a lot of those games were at home and we lost some of those, Justin Abdelkader said. Sometimes when you go on the road you have to play a simpler game especially the first 10 minutes are most important. Maybe we can carry that over to our home ice, play a little simpler and not give teams the quality chances we have in the past, whether they re breakaways or odd man rushes. Macomb Daily LOADED: