The Wings veered near having to put Block into a game on Nov. 27.
Jonathan Bernier was supposed to start but was ill, so Jimmy Howard played. When Howard got hurt, Bernier had to get his gear back on and play despite being sick.
"We came real close," Blashill said. "One of the things with Bernier and Howie that night is you try to do everything you can to get your guys in the lineup. Besides having a guy almost on a practice squad type thing, that means he's got to travel with the team, that's a heck of an expense. There's a lot that goes into it. We did come close but I think there's a decent number of close calls but it hasn't happened much. It's been a real minuscule, if you compare it to the number of actual games, and again, they're 2-0."
MANTHA FEELING HIS WAY: If you look at the points, Anthony Mantha has been pretty good in the six games since his return from missing 20 games with broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Mantha, who scored the lone goal in Friday's 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders, has one goal and five assists in those six games.
"I'm feeling good," Mantha said. "Not great I don't think yet but feeling good. It's coming along. I think (Saturday) was a good practice, so hopefully it's a full 100 percent tomorrow (Sunday) night."
It's a difficult thing to get up to speed after missing so much time, especially when the season is in full swing.
"I thought before he got hurt the first time, he was playing really good hockey and moved his feet on a consistent basis," Blashill said Saturday. "I think he's a big man who, when he's been out for a while, has a hard time keeping those habits of moving his feet on a consistent basis where they need to be. I think he's played fine, I think he's at times played good. I thought his first game back was excellent, didn't miss a beat.
"But he's just got to keep pushing himself to make sure those feet are moving all the time. For me, it's just knees bent and skating and when he does that, he's an excellent player. Those habits slip when you haven't been able to practice on a consistent basis and play on a consistent basis. It's just going to take continued time."