Notes: Blashill and Boston's Krug have strong connection

DETROIT -- They are on opposite, division-rival teams but there remains a strong connection between Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug.
Blashill coached Krug in the USHL with the Indiana Ice in 2008-09 but he's known Krug even longer than that.

"I love Torey. Torey's one of my favorite players I've coached, I've ever coached," Blashill said. "You want to talk about big plays at big moments, for me, he's, I'll use the term baller. He's a baller. When the game's on the line, he's got ice in his veins. He knows how to make plays. I knew him as a 15-year-old when he was very, very short at that time. I remember him and Cam Fowler bouncing around a select festival, a Michigan select festival, and he was running the show and he's this little guy. Then I saw him three years later as an 18-year-old, was able to get him on my team in Indy, and we won a championship there. I can't say enough good things about Torey. He's a great person, plays with an edge. I like him a lot."
Krug, 27, is listed at 5-foot-9, 186 pounds.
A player of smaller stature like that often has obstacles to overcome, especially when it comes to reaching the NHL. Krug gives Blashill a lot of credit for his success.
"He was a guy that took a chance on me," Krug said after the Bruins morning skate at Little Caesars Arena. "To be honest, before him I thought that my hockey career was probably going nowhere and it was more going to be a recreational thing for me. When he took me onto his team and put me in a good position to succeed, I owe a lot to Jeff Blashill.
"Not only did he take a chance on me but he helped develop me into the player that I am today. There's a lot of traits in my game today because of him."
Krug noticed special qualities in Blashill as a coach during their time together in Indiana.
"Just the attention to detail," Krug said. "Every single day you showed up for practice, you were working hard. He didn't take anything for granted, he didn't let you slip through the cracks. There's a lot of times I remember he'd be explaining a drill and I'd be staring off into space and he'd call me out for it, just make sure I was paying attention. I was a younger kid on the team so just making sure you showed up to work every single day and just appreciating it."
On that championship team, Krug had 10 goals and 37 assists in 59 games. In 13 playoff games, Krug had a goal and six assists.
Krug has established himself now in the NHL and has 52 goals and 189 assists in 407 career games.
Of those 241 points, 107 have come on the power play. In 38 career playoff games, Krug has nine goals and 19 assists.
None of that is surprising to Blashill.
"He's been doubted his whole life and I think those guys that have been doubted their whole life, an inner drive burns in them and they play with a chip on their shoulder and they end up being great, great players," Blashill said. "You never know what the future brings but I can tell you, this gets missed a little bit, he didn't get drafted in the NHL, he also didn't get drafted in the USHL, and I was able to luckily get him to come to our tryout camp. That's an amazing story really when you think about it. It's not that long ago. Does it surprise me? No.
"I never count people out with that kind of inner drive and that kind of will and that kind of moxie."
The Michigan-born coach and Michigan-born player still keep in touch, although usually not during the season.
"It's tough, during the season everyone has different schedules," Krug said. "Obviously him being a rival in our division, that adds another aspect to it but in the summer, once a summer I'll reach out, see how his family's doing, what his kids are up to. I'll talk to him after the game, say hello. I remember when his kids were really small, running around the locker room in Indiana and now they're growing up. We definitely do keep in touch for sure."

BRAD MARCHAND, AN ADMIRABLE PEST? There are very few hockey players like Boston's Brad Marchand.
He's a fiery competitor known for crossing the line into unchartered territory (face lick, anyone?), but the 5-foot-9, 180-pound super pest is an impact player for the B's, who has a flair for scoring when the game is on the line.
Marchand leads the NHL in penalty minutes with 66 in 20 games. He also has 21 points, including six goals, and is a plus-2, which is all you really need to know about Marchand.
"He's actually calmed down over the years. I think these last couple of years he's run into some trouble. He plays hard," Justin Abdelkader said. "He likes to try to get under a guy's skin and chirp, but that's all part of the game. I think that as a player you kind of welcome that. It gets you on your toes and makes sure you're engaged.
"I don't mind it and I don't mind chirping back, but I know he tries to get under a guy's skin, kind of like (Kirk) Maltby did for a long time. Obviously, I think Marchand sometimes has taken it to a whole another level. But you guys (the media) can be the judge of that.
"But he's a good player. When he plays the game of hockey, I think he's a really good player. He's been a good player since he's been in Boston. He's an important piece to that team. You definitely got to key in on him and key in on that line.
"Most importantly, with (Patrice) Bergeron out, now obviously (David) Krejci moves in there and he's a really good player, but I just think the chemistry, especially Marchand and Bergeron for a number of years is . . . arguably have played as good as any pair together for a number of years."
Detroit's Tyler Bertuzzi, who along with Danny DeKeyser leads the Wings in penalty minutes with 19, admires Marchand's abrasive nature on the ice. "I like watching him play," Bertuzzi said. "He's a great player and for him to get under people's skin, he'll get back with a hat trick. He backs it up and like I said, he's fun to watch."
Luke Glendening is not a fan of Marchand by any means, but he knows he is an effective player.
"He knows how to frustrate guys on the score sheet, but he also does it in other ways," Glendening said. "I'm sure he's great to have on your team but he's not good to play against."
If there is a Wings player who doesn't want to give Marchand the time of day, it's Gustav Nyquist. "I'm not too worried about that guy," Nyquist said. "For some guys it wastes energy to probably (get caught up in his game), I usually don't spend too much energy on that guy."
Whether you love him or hate him, you're always aware of Marchand, because he embodies the good, the bad and ugly of NHL hockey.
PASTRNAK EXCELLING: The numbers are eye-popping -- 17 goals and 25 points in just 20 games.
David Pastrnak, 22, has already proven himself to be a fantastic goal scorer with 35 goals in 82 games last season and 34 goals in 75 games the previous season but he seems to have taken it to a new level.
"Probably evolved too well when he's played against us," Blashill said. "He's an excellent player. He knows how to find ice. He's one of those wingers that seems like his hockey IQ is real good, his skill-set is great. I saw him at the World Championship last year. He's a really elite player. He's generally played with good players and will again tonight. (Patrice) Bergeron is out and that's a big miss but (David) Krejci is a heck of a center and he's a high-end guy."
In 12 career games against the Wings, Pastrnak has eight goals and eight assists.
"He plays with a great line but he's also a great player," Glendening said. "He's got a great skill set, he seems to always find a way to score against us, so hopefully tonight we'll be able to slow him down."
Abdelkader has been playing on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha so he will likely find himself trying to defend Pastrnak.
"I think he's a really smart player," Abdelkader said. "He puts himself in the right spot. Obviously playing with two world-class players in Bergeron and Marchand. But I think his skill level is just really high. He just has a knack for scoring goals."
In Bergeron's absence, Krejci will center Pastrnak and Anders Bjork.
THANKFUL WINGS: It was pretty easy to get Abdelkader to talk about what he is most thankful for as he gets ready to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow.
"Obviously my son Jaxon," Abdelkader said. "It's been amazing, the joy he brings to our lives and how blessed we are that he's healthy. It really gives you . . . it changes your perspective on life. You think about . . . last night we were joking around last night and it was like gosh, what did we do with all this time that we spend taking care of him and worrying about him, and taking him to appointments for things. It's like what did we do with our lives before this? You kind of forget about it. My parents always said once you have kids, that's when life really starts. I can kind of see that as we've been nine weeks in. It's been amazing, it's been fun. I just can't believe how fast it's gone by already."

Blashill had a similar response when asked.
"I'm thankful for the same thing I'm thankful for every year and that's my family," Blashill said. "Both my parents and my siblings but certainly my wife and my kids. To me, my kids were able to come down to work with me Monday because for some reason they get the whole week off of school and my wife was going to lose her mind, so they came down with me and we had a blast. You asked about how do you keep your sanity, well, you keep perspective. You do everything you can to win as many games as you can and be as good as you can at your job but at the end of the day, I get to go home and see them every night."