Miller looks to provide jolt to Red Wings' slumping penalty kill
Detroit Red Wings forward Drew Miller is intent on helping his team's struggling penalty kill when he returns from a 14-game absence in Thursday's road game against San Jose Sharks.
Miller has been sidelined since Dec. 3, when his jaw was broken on a hit from Arizona Coyotes defenseman Klas Dahlbeck. The 31-year-old Miller was able to withstand an altered diet in the initial weeks of the injury, but he told reporters that the team's recent results on the penalty kill were a bit hard to stomach.
Via MLive:
"I don't think the guys were doing anything bad. Sometimes the puck just goes in. The guys stayed pretty true to the system. Sometimes they go and sometimes they don't. So I'm looking forward to getting back and getting the percentage back up to where we want to be."
With Miller manning the top penalty kill unit, Detroit (20-13-7) had thwarted an NHL seventh-best 83.7 percent of its opponents' power plays this season. Without the veteran forward, that number has dropped to a 20th-best 79.4 percent entering play on Thursday.
Drew Miller is also working on #RedWings penalty kill unit. He's set to make his return after missing 14 games with a broken jaw. #DETvsSJS
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 7, 2016
Miller, who will wear a full cage mask to protect his surgically repaired jaw on Thursday, has scored one goal and set up another in 26 games this season. The former Michigan State star has 57 tallies and 58 assists in 514 career contests with the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Red Wings.
