Notes: Wings try out new power-play units in practice

DETROIT -- The Red Wings will sport a different look on the power play when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
During Friday's practice, these were the power play units:

Martin Frk-Henrik Zetterberg-Andreas Athanasiou-Anthony Mantha (net front)-Niklas Kronwall
Tomas Tatar-Dylan Larkin-Gustav Nyquist-Tyler Bertuzzi (net front)-Mike Green
It puts speed on both units with Athanasiou on one and Larkin on the other.
"If I look at our power play from a process standpoint and say where can we make sure and make it better, our rate of entry percentage has really dropped off and that I think has hurt other areas, like getting shots per PP," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We wanted to make sure and give Double-A (Athanasiou) to that Zetterberg unit to give them a little more speed and entry success. I think Zetterberg's unit had a great run of getting into the zone. It's only been the last couple of weeks where they haven't, but it's gone dry. So let's see if we can help them there.
"I think with Frky there -- and we wanted to look at it today in practice, not to say we'll necessarily keep it -- Frky gives them a real shooting element on that power play, so we'll see on the other side of it with Tats and Nyquie. Tats is tied for our leading goal scorer on the PP and he can score off that elbow for sure. He's done that fairly consistent throughout his career, so we're hoping that they both can get some chemistry quick. That's one of the hard parts when you switch around is you got to get chemistry quick. But you also get to a point where we've stayed patient with it and we're not getting results, so we got to look for other ways."
Just as Larkin is often tasked with bringing the puck into the offensive zone, Athanasiou can do the same with the other unit.
"I think I can bring a little speed to that unit," Athanasiou said. "It's definitely something that we'll definitely try on the breakout, me carrying the puck, so we'll see how it works out."
If the power play doesn't improve from its current 18th (18.7 percent) spot in league rankings, Blashill could look to make other moves.
Frans Nielsen has played on the power play in his career but is the team's current best penalty killer with Luke Glendening, Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm all out with injuries.
"That's a question you always ask yourself, not is he good enough to be on it, is he better than the guys on it? If I knew he was better for sure, I'd probably put him on it, regardless of the distribution of ice, but certainly we've given Frans a real role for most of the season," Blashill said. "The lines are a little different now, but once we get Abby and Helmer and Glenny back, he's been a guy who's gone up, from a defensive standpoint, against other teams' top lines.
"So after the power play, everybody always rolls out their top line and we'd like Frans available and he's also been one of the mainstays on the penalty kill. I think having roles is important on a team, too, and he's had a role, but that's not to say he won't get an opportunity on the power play if it continues to not produce."
Blashill could also put Trevor Daley in Niklas Kronwall's spot but Blashill has liked Kronwall there.
"As I've gone through most of the year on the power play, I think Kronwall has been really elite at passing the puck on the breakout," Blashill said. "Not that Dales isn't a good passer, but Kronwall has really been elite. He's sent multiple guys in on breakaways. Have I thought about it? I think Dales sits in every PP meeting, so he's ready. I haven't seen that being the issue on the power play but we'll see as we move along."
BOOTH MOVES UP A LINE: In the last game, David Booth played on the fourth line with Dominic Turgeon and Luke Witkowski.
On Friday, Booth was on Nielsen's like with Tatar.
"I haven't given David lots of opportunities," Blashill said. "He's had opportunity in small segments. He's played pretty well, so maybe he gets a little more ice time playing up there and see what he can do and especially while Abby and Helmer and guys that play like him are out. Let's see if he can give us a little bit more. It also gives the line a little more forechecking presence and net presence. So we'll see. It doesn't mean I won't flip it at some point but we'll see."
GLENDENING PRACTICING: Glendening has been practicing with the team but Blashill has said that he doesn't expect him back until after the All-Star break.
"My understanding with Luke is I think he's going to be out until after the All-Star Game, so I want him to be skating as much as he can, be a part of the team as much as he can, so when he comes out of that All-Star break he's as ready as possible," Blashill said. "He stated to me today that's it's feeling much better (but) there's timelines on these types of things he's going through that are fairly hard."
One thing Glendening has certainly not lost is his conditioning.
"I feel good," Glendening said. "My legs are still there. I was able to skate. It's just getting back into the pace of things I guess."
Glendening said he took a shot off his right wrist in the team's 4-3 loss at Philadelphia on Dec. 20.
"It was literally right where my glove splits," Glendening said. "When I went down, it hit me right there. It's crazy how it always seems to happen that way. The ankles or the knees or whatever it is."
Glendening said when he does return, he will likely wear some kind of protection in case he gets slashed or hit with another shot.
When he got hurt, Glendening led the team in face-off percentage at 59.4 percent. He has not started practicing face-offs yet.
"In the next couple of days here, I'll start to try them and see how it goes," Glendening said. "It's that tough line to walk of trying stuff too early and making sure you're ready to play. The next couple of days here, we'll see where I'm at and make some calls from there."
In Glendening's absence, and now without Abdelkader and Helm, the Wings' penalty kill has fallen to 19th in the league at 79.9 percent.
"There's been some tough breaks in the way it goes," Glendening said. "I think a penalty kill ebbs and flows throughout the year. You go into every game never wanting to get scored on and doing the best you can but sometimes pucks are going to go in. Penalty kill seems to go on 10-game, 20-game streaks and then it goes in almost every night. You just gotta keep pushing for it. These guys are doing a great job and they will continue to do so."
TURGEON TO PLAY TUESDAY: Although Blashill said nothing has changed with Abdelkader and Helm, the timeline has been stretched out a little.
"Both skated yesterday, I think they both skated today," Blashill said. "We said we would revisit it after Saturday but I wouldn't expect them until the earliest Thursday against Chicago."
The Wings play at New Jersey Monday, host Philadelphia Tuesday and then welcome the Blackhawks to town right before the All-Star break.
KRONWALL PROUD OF BROTHER: With the NHL not allowing players to participate in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea this year, countries are turning to other leagues for participants.
One of those who will be going to represent Team Sweden is defenseman Staffan Kronwall, younger brother of the Wings' Niklas.
"I haven't talked to him since he got the call but I spoke to him before," Kronwall said. "He didn't know at the time but he's been playing on the national team for a few years, played a few worlds. I think he felt he had a pretty good shot but at the end of the day you never know."
Staffan Kronwall has been playing in the KHL with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
"Of course, pretty nice career for himself over there in Russia," Kronwall said. "He's been doing well."
Niklas Kronwall represented Team Sweden in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, when the Swedes won the gold medal, and again in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, when the Swedes won silver.
"It's definitely a proud moment anytime you get the chance to represent your country in the Olympics is a pretty big deal," Kronwall said.
Although it is an opportunity for his brother and soon-to-be drafted Rasmus Dahlin, Kronwall still wishes the NHL were going to the Olympics.
"It is what it is," Kronwall said. "I think all the players still don't quite get why we are not there. The possibility of having two Olympics in Asia on top of each other in an untapped market, that's already said and done. Of course, we all wish we were there, but now we're not. We're still going to try to watch as much as possible."
Regardless, Kronwall said he would watch the Games, and not just the hockey games.
"Outside of hockey, downhill skiing. Big fan," Kronwall said. "Curling is also something I've grown a fan of. Sweden has had some success over the years, so that's always a fun time."