Notes: Red Wings reaching a critical stage of their schedule

DETROIT -- At first glance a four-point gap between the Red Wings and the Bruins in the Atlantic Division standings doesn't appear to be an insurmountable obstacle to overcome, especially since it's only mid-December.
However, the Bruins have played the fewest games in the NHL at 27 while the Wings have played 30. Detroit is 1-5-4 in its last 10 and Boston is 8-2 and oh, by the way, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask is playing at his standard world-class level.

Since the Wings and Bruins play twice before the annual Christmas break, Wednesday's game for Detroit is borderline must-win territory.
"We have to play great hockey to give ourselves the best chance to win so we have to focus on ourselves and make sure we're playing great hockey," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said after Wednesday's morning skate. "If we mirror the game we played last (Monday versus Florida), we'll put ourselves in a good position. Now you've got to capitalize on your chances but the chances overall in the game were one-sided so we got to make sure we do that.
"Boston's a hard forechecking team. That top line of theirs creates lots off the opening face-off, they create either goals or opportunities with their forecheck so we're going to have to do a good job getting out of our end and then we got to make sure that we're pressuring them, that we're on top of their D, that we're playing in their end as much as possible and that we're using our speed.
"They've got some big defensemen, we've got lots of speed, we got to make it a fast game that way and make sure we're using our speed."
With the way the Eastern Conference is playing out, it appears the top three finishers in the Atlantic Division will earn playoff berths. The Bruins reside in that third and final guaranteed playoff spot. They also seem to have found their mojo.
The Wings are heading in the opposite direction and unless they can find a way to limit their costly mistakes, their playoff aspirations could quickly be dashed.
Blashill is correct when he states it's up to the Wings to elevate their play and bring maximum effort to every game. Certainly the players know they must play better regardless of the opposition.
"We just got to keep grinding, there's no easy answer. I think we're doing the right things but we're not getting the two points and that's what it's about," Luke Glendening told reporters after Monday's OT loss to Florida. "You make one bad mistake, one bad turnover and it ends up in your net. We're not scoring a lot, so we can't afford those mistakes.
"Just got to stay focused, get pucks deep, do the things we practice every day. Mistakes are going to be made, that's part of the game. I don't fault one person, but we got to work through those mistakes and continue building.
"It's a points-based league, and if you're not winning, you're doing something wrong. Yeah, we're doing some things right but we're not winning, so we have to find ways to do that."
ATHANASIOU'S GOAL DROUGHT:Since he is one of the most dynamic players in the NHL, expectations for Wings forward Andreas Athanasiou are sky high.
When Greece Lightning cranks up the jets, not only is he a sight to behold, he's a force to be reckoned with on the ice.
Since his return to Detroit's lineup (after a lengthy contract stalemate) on October 26 in Tampa, Athanasiou has played in 20 games and has five goals among his 10 points and is minus-8.
Considering he missed all of training camp and the Wings' first 10 games of the season, his numbers are respectable. But since he scored his last goal on November 19 against Colorado, he has been held goalless.
In the nine games since he last scored, he has accumulated two assists and is minus-9.
Blashill was asked if Athanasiou has hit a wall because of the time he missed at the beginning of the season or is there something else he's noticed which has led to Athanasiou's scoring drop-off.
"I think he's certainly had some chances on the power play. You know, he's had some chances 5-on-5. I thought the St. Louis game honestly was a real good game for him," Blashill said. "The things we've talked about is just making sure that he's got give-and-go in his game, it's not just based on his speed and he's skating without the puck.
"When he does those things, when he skates without the puck and demands the puck in areas and when he has that give-and-go and changes speed in his game, it makes him multi-dimensional. Obviously, he's a guy that can supply some big plays for us and we certainly need it from him."
Blashill has used Athanasiou on the penalty kill because he wants him to continue to develop and think about the defensive side of the game and unlike some who would like to see him shoot more, Blashill doesn't see it as an issue.
"With any young player, continuing to understand the two-way side of the game leads to more offense is an important thing and being on the penalty kill helps (him) understand that," Blashill said. "As a young player, sometimes, especially if you're struggling, you think you're going to cheat your way to offense and ultimately you don't, you cheat your way to minuses and you don't produce as much offense. I think being on the PK certainly has that defensive responsibility.
"I don't find him to be real bad that way (not shooting enough), he takes what's given. He's got lots of hockey smarts to him so he takes what's given. I think he does a pretty good job of that. I just think it's just a matter of getting into those opportunities.
"Again, for me, for him to get those opportunities, he's got to make sure he's winning those puck battles, then he's got to make sure he's skating away from the puck and not just waiting for the puck to come to him. Otherwise you wait the whole game and nothing happens. So you got to make sure that you're creating opportunities either for yourself or your line mates."
Athanasiou is not alone, a couple of other young forwards, Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha have recently had a difficult time finding the back of the net.
In Larkin's last 10 games, he has zero goals, four assists and is minus-9. Mantha has two goals in his last 10 games with zero assists and a minus-5. He hasn't scored in his last four games.
"It mirrors our team in a sense that we've done good stuff, obviously outside of the five periods against Montreal, especially in the last three games we've done good things, haven't had the results," Blashill said about the lack of scoring from his three young snipers, "but what can't change is the process."
"They're important pieces of the team, no question about it. Larks lots of nights leads us in ice time, that makes you a real important piece of the team. The other two are important pieces but there's lots of pieces in here that are important and have to be real good.
"We've got to win as a team. We're not going to win as individuals, no chance, we got to win as a group, we got to play great as a group."