Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and defensemen Brendan Smith and Mike Green talk Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, in Glendale, Arizona. Video by Helene St. James / DFP
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- In assembling his late pairings, Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill has united two of the team's most offensively inclined defensemen.
Mike Green and Brendan Smith were penned in to play together as the Wings close out their trek west tonight against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena. It's an interesting combination because both are disposed to jump up in plays, and both play the kind of risky game where turnovers are inevitable.