Erik Cole-3-19-15

Erik Cole scores the Red Wings' lone goal Thursday vs. the Florida Panthers.

(AP Photo)

SUNRISE, Fla. - Erik Cole has played eight games and been a member of the Detroit Red Wings for almost three weeks since being acquired in a trade with the Dallas Stars.

But the veteran power forward is still trying to get comfortable in his new surroundings.

Cole scored his second goal with the Red Wings Thursday in a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers and he's also picked up three assists since Detroit traded Mattias Janmark, Mattias Backman and a second-round draft pick for him.

But the 14-year veteran thinks he has more to give his new team.

"I wasn't quite sure what to expect," Cole said Thursday. "It hasn't been bad. I've adjusted well within the group. Some things I don't feel like I'm playing as well as I can right now.

"I'm one of the guys that needs to execute better and demand more of myself and raise that level of expectation, what my teammates expect of me. It's been OK, I think I've gotten better. I think it's slowly coming. I think it was just a bit of whirlwind, the whole transition, everything is a little different.

"I'm adjusting and trying to fit in."

The goal vs. Florida was Cole's 20th in 59 games for the Red Wings and Stars this season. It marked the sixth time in the last 10 seasons he's reached that plateau.

But hitting the milestone in a loss wasn't very satisfying for Cole.

"Honestly, it's nice to contribute but when it's in losses it isn't that great," he said. "We need to win games. In the playoffs it's a matter of just winning hockey games. You play lots of different roles through the course of a series and certainly during a run.

"We all need to elevate our game and hold each other a little more accountable to what we're trying to do and execute better and we'll be fine."

If Cole can raise his level of play during the final 13 games of the season, coach Mike Babcock thinks he could help the Red Wings in their bid to catch the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division standings.

The Red Wings (38-20-11) visit Tampa Bay (43-21-7) at 7:30 tonight at Amalie Arena. They trail the second-place Lightning by six points in the Atlantic but have two games in hand.

"I need Coler to win more battles," Babcock said. "I need him to be physical and win more puck battles. If he does that he can help our team. He's got the

ability to do that so he needs to do that.

"I think he's done all right."

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