DETROIT - Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou are mired in scoring slumps. But Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is seeing more positives in Athanasiou's performance lately than in Mantha's, so their roles were reversed a bit Monday at practice.

Athanasiou was moved from fourth-line center to a top-six wing position with Dylan Larkin and Tomas Tatar. Mantha was relegated to the fourth line.

Blashill said this is how he'll start Tuesday's game at the New York Islanders (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit), the first of four in a row on the road.

"We just want to make sure we're rewarding guys when they're doing it right and I thought (Athanasiou) did it right, especially the second and third periods (in Friday's 3-1 win over Toronto)," Blashill said. "And when guys don't do it right, sometimes they need a little bit of a reminder that they have to do it right shift in and shift out.

"We have to outwork our opponents, out-compete our opponents and out-detail them. I can't play somebody that's not doing those things ahead of people that are. When people don't do that right, I got to make sure I'm playing the people that are doing that."

Mantha said he has not been pleased with his overall game lately. He has no points in six games and just two goals and one assist, along with a minus-9, the past 13 games.

"I don't think I've played the way I played earlier this season, not only point-wise, just in general," Mantha said. "I think the last couple of games I had a couple of turnovers, which earlier in the season I didn't really do. I need to bring back my game to a simple game and just make the right plays."

Blashill said Mantha has "played pretty well," but has committed too many turnovers.

"The second period (Friday), he turned pucks over that we can't turn over," Blashill said. "He'll get lots of chances to play and be important. He's just got to make sure (to) manage the puck through the neutral zone. We can't be a team that turns the puck over through the neutral zone. I'm not saying that you're not going to make mistakes. It's what's the approach over and over again."

Mantha failed to register a shot for the first time this season on Friday. Two nights earlier against Boston, he recorded a season-high six shots.

"I think a couple of games I passed away a couple of shots and tried making cute plays instead of keeping it simple," Mantha said. "I need to keep working hard. I need to create my chances and shoot more.

"One play (Friday), I passed to Larkin on a three-on-one and he got robbed by (James) Reimer. That shot, if I take it, might be a rebound for him or something. I need to keep it simple instead of passing across two or three guys. Just shoot the puck for a rebound."

Athanasiou has no goals and two assists, along with a minus-11, in the past 11 games, mostly as the fourth-line center. He attributed his drought to "a few bad bounces" but said the chances have been there.

"I know I'll get my chances and eventually they'll go in," Athanasiou said. "Can't really think about it, just be ready for the next game and if I get an opportunity, try to make the most of it.

"I hit two posts there and it stays out (on Friday). A lot of nights that goes in. There have been some tough breaks. But you just got to keep shooting when it's not going in and eventually it will."

Blashill said as long as Athanasiou competes hard, he will eventually get rewarded.

"When (Athanasiou) competes like crazy and works, he's got a real good skill-set, and then he can really use that skill-set," Blashill said. "But you can't be a real good player in this league without competing like crazy, without working like crazy."

Blashill said Athanasiou has been receptive to coaching.

"He's been understanding that when we're coaching him we're trying to help him become the very best he can be," Blashill said.