"They've done it more, now, and are more prepared. "Two of those were probably mistakes that guys who had not done it much missed their assignment," Blashill said. The Wings allowed three Patrice Bergeron power-play goals in the previous loss to the Bruins. So the penalty kill was a huge point of emphasis during Monday's practice. "We started very strong and were producing a lot of goals and offense," Oesterle said "As bad as it was to see a little bit of hiccups in our defensive zone, we've matured and kind of were able to get through that little patch and rebounded with some good games." Penalty kill important Oesterle likes where the Wings are positioned at this point of the schedule.
But we'll have another game the next night and we'll have to find a way to do that." If we do find a way to win, it says you beat a good team on the road. "We're going to a play a real good team in their building and we want to find a way to win. "Every night in this league is a litmus test in where you stand," Blashill said. Coach Jeff Blashill said the NHL provides a good indicator for what kind of team you are every game. That fits here, with the younger Red Wings and older, playoff-tested Bruins. There's always that cliche, maybe more so in football, about being a litmus test and seeing how a team compares to a contender. "We're definitely looking ahead to, not a must win, but we want to go in there and have a good start and try to come out with a victory." It's a divisional game, so these are two very big points. They're a playoff-style team and a team we want to beat to stay with, or in front, of the standings. "We didn't have the outing that we wanted last time we were in Boston (a 5-1 loss). "We put a lot of emphasis on every game," defenseman Jordan Oesterle said. The Wings would also avenge an loss in Boston.