Red Wings' Teemu Pulkkinen building confidence, scoring goals

Teemu Pulkkinen took last season as a learning experience — his time in Detroit and in Grand Rapids.

In the minors, he realized how good a shot he is, setting the AHL ablaze with 34 goals. In 31 appearances with the Red Wings, Pulkkinen learned it is little fun being a bit player.

As this regular season approached, Pulkkinen emphasized he does not want spot duty. He bolstered his argument for being a regular with two goals in Saturday's 4-3 victory at Carolina, both times showing quick handwork to get the job done.

"There is no guaranteed spot," Pulkkinen said. "I am here to work hard. It is nice to get a couple of goals to get your confidence up."

The performance drew attention from captain Henrik Zetterberg, who noted Pulkkinen "is not the biggest guy, but he knows where to be and he knows how to score goals. That is pretty nice to have that in this game."

It helps Pulkkinen that he has, in Jeff Blashill, a coach who knows him from the minors and wants him to succeed in the NHL. Blashill switched lines in the third period at Carolina, putting Pulkkinen with Dylan Larkin "to see if they could have some chemistry," Blashill said.

They did.

As Zetterberg observed, Pulkkinen isn't big. But neither is Tomas Tatar, and he found a way to translate a standout AHL season into a regular NHL role. Now it is Pulkkinen's turn.

"With Pulkky," Blashill said, "it is extremely important that he scores. And he has got to do it the right way. ... He knows he is not getting on the ice if he doesn't play a 200-foot game, if he doesn't play from the defensive side. But with that, he also had to score. That is what he does. That is what he brings to the table."

Net note: Blashill said he and his staff would decide Monday or Tuesday which goalie will start against Tampa Bay and that "there will be lots that goes into that decision," but he also stressed the fact that, with several back-to-backs this month, Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek will see plenty of the net.

"Both of them are going to play again next weekend," Blashill said.

Mrazek was sanguine about the prospect, noting, "It is 82 games and you play maybe 12 games a month and it is lots of games back-to-back, too, so I feel like we stay sharp both."

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