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Tomas Jurco (left), Riley Sheahan and Tomas Tatar provided offense and energy for the Red Wings last season.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT – A bevy of young players blossomed at the right time for the Detroit Red Wings in 2013-14, providing speed, energy, offense and depth to a team decimated by injuries.



They helped save what might have been a disastrous season.



"Younger guys got a taste of the game up here, probably sooner than they would have been given the chance otherwise," defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "They really grabbed it and went with it. It was fun to see those guys come in and have no fear.



"Let's be honest, it's because of them that we did make the playoffs."

The kids, ranging in age from 21 to 25, are back for the 2014-15 season -- stronger physically and more experienced and confident.



Gustav Nyquist, forced to spend the first six weeks with the Grand Rapids Griffins because the NHL club wouldn't open a roster spot for him, led the Red Wings with 28 goals last season and finished with 48 points in just 57 games.



Tomas Tatar tallied 19 goals and 39 points after being a healthy scratch in eight of the first nine games.

Riley Sheahan was strong at both ends of the ice when pressed into service as the second-line center due to injuries and displayed more offensive ability (nine goals, 24 points in 42 games) than the club expected.



Tomas Jurco proved he can utilize his size (6-1, 203) by playing a more gritty game, going to the hard areas and delivering some hits, to complement his tremendous stick skills.



And Danny DeKeyser, the most sought-after college free agent in 2013, was second among the club's defensemen in average ice time (21:38) and points (23) and first in plus-minus rating (plus-10).

As the Red Wings transition from an older core (Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen and Kronwall range in age from 33-36), they'll be leaning more on these young players.



"In Year 2 you think you've made the league and you're going to change all of these things and be a better player," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "They're just going to check you tighter. It's a hard league, it's an every-day league, it's a mental-toughness league, it's a grind. When you first arrive you're all enthusiastic and over time you just learn to be a good pro and bring it every day. That's the challenge for these kids."



They face a few challenges.



They were either fighting to keep their roster spot or a place in the lineup last season, for the most part. This year, they're here to stay. Will they show the same hunger?



Will they have as much room on the ice? Opponents will be checking them tighter, no doubt getting more physical with the smaller Nyquist and Tatar and the slightly built DeKeyser.



"That's what everybody keeps saying, the second season is kind of different because people know you, they maybe pay a little more attention," Tatar said. "It's going to be harder, I guess, but that's why I worked hard over the summer to get ready for this kind of situation."



Nyquist and Tatar, in particular, focused on increasing strength.



"A lot of us younger guys, maybe we don't go into the season as unknown as we were last year," Nyquist said. "Maybe I'll be up against tougher D, just like all the other guys that made a statement last year. It's obviously going to be a challenge for me, but I just got to prove I'm a better player this year and that's how I am going to get better, too, playing against better players."



They witnessed in the five-game playoff series against the Boston Bruins just how tough this league can be. Nyquist, Tatar, Sheahan, Jurco and DeKeyser had no points and a minus-7 rating between them.



"Obviously, (playoffs) is a little different," Tatar said. "Last year for me was really hard. I'm really happy I went through it so I know what it feels like in those situations and now I feel more comfortable."



Zetterberg said there can be plenty of pitfalls the second time around.



"The first year everything is new; all the arenas you go to are new, fresh, you get excited," Zetterberg said. "The second year you don't have that same rookie feeling you had the first time. You just got to find a way to go through the 82 games to get through the bad times. As a rookie you don't really have that much pressure on you. But in the second year you do and you just got to find a way to deal with that."



That being said, Zetterberg added, "They were a force for us last year, they will be this year. A big key for them was to go through a playoff series. When that comes around again, I think they're just going to be better."

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