Green, Richards fit in during Red Wings' win Wednesday

Mike Green got a little taste of quarterbacking the power play, and a little more adjusted to his new defense partner. Brad Richards had fun setting up his new winger three times.

The Detroit Red Wings debuted both of their new guys Wednesday when they hosted a Blackhawks team low on NHL star power at Joe Louis Arena. The Wings were outshot badly at times, but took the game, 4-1 after a hat trick from Tomas Tatar.

Head coach Jeff Blashill didn't like that it took the Wings nearly two periods before they got going, but the new guys got positive reviews.

"I thought Richards and Green both played well, they both had impacts on the game," Blashill said. "Green did a great job breaking the puck out, that's where I noticed him the most. His poise and his passing was great. And Richards made a couple of real good plays. He had a good impact on the game."

Richards called the game something to build on. "Being new here," he said, "you want to get out and try to be on a good note going into the season and so tonight, it was nice to be on the ice for some goals and make some plays."

The prettiest one of the night was the first goal, which saw Tatar sprung by Jakub Kindl. Tatar carried the puck into Chicago's zone before finding Richards, who didn't take long to send the puck back to Tatar.

"Brad is a really smart player," Tatar said. "I saw him open there and as soon as I slide the puck there were two guys jumping on him, and he just passed it to me back and I shot it. He is a really smart player and I know I am going to have fun with him."

Justin Abdelkader scored on a power play off a long pass from Niklas Kronwall. Both Kronwall and Kindl had two assists. Petr Mrazek left after 25:23 minutes of play and a flawless 16 saves, replaced by Jared Coreau in a pre-planned move.

This was the first game-action look the Wings got at their big summer-time additions. Richards was brought in to center the second line, a move made late on July 1 after the Wings cut their losses and bought out Stephen Weiss. That same day began with the signing of Green, which ended the long search for a top-four offensive defenseman who shoots right. On a defense that once saw offense generated by Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, the addition of Green should be a huge boost.

"He's got elite skill," Blashill said. "And it's one thing to be an offensive defenseman and have good offensive skills; he's got elite offensive skill. With the right shot, that's been talked about lots over the years -- I think, more importantly than the right shot, is just the skill set that he brings.

"We hope that him and Danny DeKeyser can create good chemistry. We hope they can go back and break pucks out and not spend lots of time in the defensive zone. They are both very capable; we'll expect them to defend when they are in those spots, but we want to be out of the zone as fast as possible."

The Green-DeKeyser pairing was planned as soon as Green signed, partly to keep intact Kronwall and Ericsson. But DeKeyser and Green also complement each other, because DeKeyser plays a smart game that can bail out a risk taker such as Green.

"I think Danny is an elite player in the league. I think Danny is an underrated player nationally -- I don't think he gets the respect he probably deserves," Blashill said. "If he is put in situations where there are breakdowns, he can make up for a lot of different players' mistakes and has the ability to make a ton of defensive plays with his stick, breaking up 2-on-1s and things like that. He's got great recovery ability. Putting him with Green puts two elite players together."

Ideally, Green ends up fitting in well with the puck-possession style favored by the Wings, makes the power play more dangerous and provides an overall offensive punch from the back end.

"There is not really a gray area in that sense," Green said, "but I still have to make sure I do the things I need to do to produce and be committed to that. I'm excited for the opportunity and I'm going to make sure I take advantage of it."

Tatar is among the forwards eager to be on the ice with Green.

"He does look really smooth," Tatar said. "You can see he has great moves and great hands and great thinking, so he can see the game. He is a great addition to our team. I think we will see way more support from the D-men than we used to before. It is really exciting for a forward."

The Wings are Green's second NHL team, after spending nine seasons with the Washington Capitals, for whom he racked up 360 points in 575 games. He used the four-day camp in Traverse City to bond with his new teammates and now will get started on the on-ice adjustments.

"My goal is to really just earn the respect of the dressing room and the staff and progress each day and then become a legitimate Red Wing," Green said. "It's been a lot of change, a lot of excitement for myself."

Legend in the building: Gordie Howe, who a year ago was dealing with severe health problems, was at the game and stopped by the locker room. "It's awesome," Blashill said. "He's Gordie Howe. It's incredible. It was great to see him here tonight."

Baby steps: Between Monday's scrimmage and Tuesday's exhibition at Chicago, Anthony Mantha has strung together two nice performances, which has included three goals (one in Chicago). "It's baby steps, but that's how to improve," Blashill said. "You improve by little steps. It's not one giant leap. I think he's done a good job. First of all, Anthony is a scorer and he has to score -- ultimately, to be a real good player in this league, he is going to have to be an elite scorer. Now he's got to do other little things right to get himself into those spots, and he seems to be doing those things. I also think confidence is a huge thing and I can see him gaining confidence daily."

Mantha and line mates Dylan Larkin and Teemu Pulkkinen are scheduled to be play again Thursday when the Wings host Pittsburgh.

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Check out our new Red Wings Xtra app on Apple and Android!