Detroit — Andreas Athanasiou and Frans Nielsen will return to the lineup for the Red Wings against the Rangers on Friday night, in a battle between two teams that heated up after slow starts to the season.
“I plan on both of them, tonight,” coach Jeff Blashill said Friday.
Athanasiou, 24, in his fourth NHL season, missed four games since Oct. 30 with a leg injury, and Nielsen, 34, in his 13th season, missed the same four games with a concussion.
Athanasiou has four goals and two assists in 11 games played, and Nielsen zero and six in 11.