DETROIT -- It seems like forever ago that the Red Wings were stuck on one power-play goal and ranked among the worst in the league with the man-advantage.
But after a strong November, the Wings are now sixth on the power play, hitting at a 22.7 percent clip.
"I think the biggest thing is we just understand it," Riley Sheahan said. "We have a little bit of chemistry out there now and have an understanding of where each guy's going. It's been working. We're just going to keep trying to get pucks to the net and shoot a little more. It's been fun being out there."
The Wings have 22 power-play goals in 24 games.
"It's fun for the guys to score goals," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "The power play helps your offensive guys feel good because they feel like they're getting their touches and opportunity to score so those things are important. They're all part of winning hockey. We got off to a fairly good start now we just have to keep building."
There is another advantage to having a good power play.
"Hopefully we can continue to keep it going because when you have a good power play, teams can't be as chippy or take liberties on your team because then you can bury them on the power play," Brendan Smith said. "Our team, we don't have many heavyweight fighters, so if you can make sure you score on the power play, teams can't take liberties on you."
Gustav Nyquist is tied with Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin for the league lead with seven power-play goals.
"I think he finds places on the power play where he gets lost and players can't get him and (Henrik) Zetterberg's been able to find him several times," Smith said. "He had a goal (Sunday) where he found him back door. He's got that knack for finding back doors and finding pucks. It's like he's in the right place at the right time. That's what goal scorers do."
Nyquist has 11 total goals.
PK ALSO GOOD
Although the Wings' penalty kill isn't currently best in the league, it's still fourth overall, killing off 86 percent of opponents' chances.
The Wings have not had both a top 10 power play and penalty kill since 2009, when their power play was ninth and their penalty kill 10th.
"They're critical for us," Babcock said. "Both (assistant coaches) Tony (Granato) and Jim (Hiller) have done a really nice job. As a staff we put a lot of importance on that stuff. We consider the shootouts now to be a third specialty team, we have to get a lot better at. We don't like to get in them, but we have to get better at. They're all parts of the game you want to do real well.
"Your ability to keep the puck out of your net is absolutely critical if you want to have success. We have to sharpen up our game on the penalty kill. We've given up some goals on that lately."
DATSYUK ON FIRE
Pavel Datsyuk has missed 11 of the team's 24 games this season yet he's tied for third on the team in scoring with 15 points (nine goals, six assists).
"He's a special guy," Stephen Weiss said. "It's not easy to do when you've missed consecutive games like that and a couple weeks and to come back and produce like that, he's a pretty amazing player."
Goaltender Jimmy Howard just shrugged.
"That's Pav," Howard said. "He's so gifted, he's so talented that he's able to take a week off and most guys would need a couple of games to get the rust off but he's out there and looks like normal Pav."
Datsyuk deflected credit, of course.
"I appreciate partners, they help me a lot, they give me lots of confidence," Datsyuk said of his linemates. "I'm happy to come back and play with team and stick together."
Weiss said not everyone can do what Datsyuk seems to make look easy.
"I ask him after every game how he feels and he says, 'Uh, OK,'" Weiss said. "And he scored two goals. That's pretty impressive.
"I haven't been able to play with anyone like that in my career before. He's amazing. He's just so talented and seems to not miss a beat."
WEISS TO FACE PANTHERS AGAIN
Weiss was drafted by the Florida Panthers and played most of his career there.
On Tuesday Weiss will face his former team, but it won't be as emotional as it was last year.
"I don't have quite the same feeling this year for sure," Weiss said. "A lot of their guys are gone again. There's only a few left on the team that I was on last. Some of the staff, but it's pretty much a new team again.
"Last year I was really excited to play against them, this year it's just another game."
SMITH NO WORSE FOR WEAR
Smith returned Sunday after missing five games because of a hand infection.
He played 25 shifts for 16:43 in Sunday's game against Vancouver.
"I think I did all right," Smith said. "I think there's things I can continue to improve on. Obviously I was a little rusty on the 2-on-1. I just need to keep playing, keep getting better."
TAKING ADVANTAGE AT HOME
After Sunday's 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, the Wings are 9-2-2 at home.
"I think that's something that the Red Wings have done for a very long time is be good at home," Smith said. "It's our house. We have to come play our best when we're here and show our fans and everything. It's been good for us, we want to continue that."
In December the Wings play 10 home games.
In January and February, the Wings play six total home games.
"One of those months we're gone the whole month, so we got to take advantage of this month, being here, being around families, being around our fans because our schedule the latter part of the season is going to be a lot on the road," Howard said.
Babcock looks at it a little differently.
"I don't look at it like that," Babcock said. "We have a game on Tuesday so that's what we're living in. I know what the schedule is, there's lots of red on it so that means we're at home this month, but the reality is you just focus on (Tuesday). They play (Monday night) getting off to a good start (Tuesday), then everything will look after itself."
