Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted a notebook article in which he focuses upon Joe Veleno’s presence on the Red Wings’ second power play unit during Monday’s practice:
The Red Wings were 0-for-4 on the power play in a 5-1 loss to the Bruins. They are 0-for-13 on the power play in the last four games. Since Nov. 18, they are 4-for-36 with the man advantage.
Their power play percentage has slipped to 14.4%, dropping them to 31st place in the NHL statistics in that category.
Even when they were on a five-game winning streak at the end of November and early December, they only scored one power play goal in that span.
“[Filip Zadina] has had been a lot of the rest of the players on the power,” Blashill said. “He has had moments of being good and too many moments of not being super effective. Otherwise the power play percentage would be way better.”
Rookie Veleno is a bubble player at this stage of his career and he feels as if Blashill is giving him a shot to show what he can do. Like Zadina, Joe Veleno is trying to prove he can score at the NHL level. Zadina has four goals in 32 games and Veleno has three in 17.
“I’ve got to make the most of it with the opportunity that they’re giving me and take advantage of every situation, every game, every day that I get to come to the rink,” Joe Veleno said. “Not give them a reason to not put me in the lineup or to send me back down. That’s ultimately up to me and my work ethic, my compete and my urgency. If I set my expectations high and I do those things and I come to the rink every day and I apply those things, I think my chances of sticking around will be pretty good.”
