April 2004 Zetterberg Fan.com

Zetterberg Finally Gets Involved in Offense

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, April 29, 2004

Henrik Zetterberg’s empty net goal that sealed the Detroit Redwings 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames in game four of the Western Conference Semi-Finals was not his best shift of the game. The best shift was half-way through the third period with the score tied 2-2 in the most crucial game for the Redwings in the Stanley Cup playoffs thus far.

Trailing the series two games to one and having blown a two goal lead in this pivotal game, Detroit needed one of Head Coaches numerous mix-and-match lines to step up and play huge. For most of the game Lewis tried a new combination of Zetterberg at left wing, centered by Pavel Datsyuk, with grinder and enforcer Darren McCarty on the right wing. But, it was when Lewis juggled the lines in the third period and replaced McCarty with old familiar Brett Hull on the Zetterberg-Datsyuk line that the trio took charge as the are often known to do.

With 11:00 minutes remaining, Zetterberg and Datsyuk did what they do best, playing keep away from the opposition’s defense, fighting off checks, and protecting the puck along the boards. They created several great scoring chances and kept the Flames chasing them in circles. They held the puck in the Calgary zone for almost two full minutes wearing down the defenders and goalie Mika Kiprusoff. The excellent puck control and high energy play didn’t result in a point for Datsyuk , Zetterberg, or Hull, but it did result in a go ahead goal for the Redwings.

While still controlling the puck and holding it in Calgary’s end, Detroit made superb line change with forwards Robert Lang, Steve Yzerman, and Thomas Holmstrom coming into the zone. The Flames were unable to get their exhausted skaters off the ice. Mere seconds after Zetterberg and Datsyuk were relieved of their duties attacking the Flames, Lang fed a pass to Holmstrom in the crease that he put on goal. Defenseman Mathieu Dandenault raced to the crease to tip in the loose puck converting it into the game winning goal. The previous shift was the driving force that made the score possible.

With 24 seconds left in regulation and the Wings up 3-2, Calgary had pulled Kiprusoff for an extra attacker. The puck was dumped into Calgary’s zone with Flame’s defenseman Robyn Regehr getting to the puck first. Henrik Zetterberg sped up from behind, lifted Regehr’s stick, stealing the puck and speeding around the helpless defender, sinking the puck into the empty net. The goal was his 2^nd of this playoff season and his third career post season goal. He now has four points and is a +1 in ten games in this years playoffs.

The goal was Zetterberg’s first point in this round and his first in five games. He had not scored a point since game five of the Redwing’s first round matchup against the Nashville Predators.

Red Wings News
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, April 30, 2004

Henrik Zetterberg's empty-net goal on Thursday was his second goal of the playoffs. He and linemate Pavel Datsyuk are discovering one of the main differences between the NHL's regular season and playoffs. They don't have as much room to roam and opponents are considerably more physical against them.

As a result, the dynamic duo's production has dropped sharply. Datsyuk has gone 18 postseason games without a goal dating back to the 2002 playoffs. Zetterberg has just four points in 10 playoff games this season.

"It's a big difference," Zetterberg said. "I think we knew it was going to happen, that (opponents) were going to play a little tougher against us. We just have to battle through it and hopefully we can get something going. We try to play the best we can, but it hasn't gone our way so far."

The Wings believe one of the reasons for the pair's scoring troubles is a lack of support from their other linemate, Brett Hull. That's why Hull was replaced by McCarty on that line for much of Game 4.

"It's not just those two, it's working as a group of three," Wings associate coach Barry Smith said. "You can't have two players working against three or five. You have to have more guys helping out with that line, whether it's the defense working with them or more give-and-go plays, because otherwise Calgary's done a very good job of containing them and making sure they have outside routes."

EUROFLASH: Youthful Players Help Spark Veteran Squad

BY HELENE ST. JAMES, FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER, April 21, 2004

Pavel Datsyuk leaned against a wall in the Red Wings locker room when suddenly a spray of water hit his ankles.

Datsyuk whirled around just as Henrik Zetterberg disappeared into the players' lounge.

Datsyuk turned and smiled. "You see?" he said. "I'm good guy. He play joke on me. He try lots of jokes.

"Sometimes, they're not good jokes."

The quality of a joke, of course, can be argued. Zetterberg, when he reappeared a moment later, was grinning, so clearly he thought this joke was good.

What both can agree on, though, all of the time, is just how much the two enjoy being on the ice together. The only ones who don't have fun are opponents, because it's almost impossible to get the puck away from the pair.

Even with two defenders on him, Datsyuk can spin around and pass the puck between his feet; Zetterberg can wheel it around the offensive zone and protect it fiercely. They are a top reason why the Wings are favored to emerge from their second-round series with Calgary, which begins Thursday at Joe Louis Arena.

"They're the Eurotwins," center Kris Draper said. "That's what we call them. They feed off each other well, and obviously they want to play together, too. You can kind of tell by the way they carry themselves on the ice; they have tremendous chemistry. It seems they can read each other very well. It doesn't matter who is playing with them on the right side. They're going to benefit from their playmaking abilities -- they cycle the puck, they take the puck to the net, they can score off the rush. We're going to rely on those guys big time."

Datsyuk, a Russian, is coming off his best season, with 30 goals among 68 points in 75 games, second in scoring on the team only to latecomer Robert Lang. Zetterberg, a Swede, had 28 assists among 43 points in 61 games. A broken leg cost him 21 games in November and December.

Datsyuk and Zetterberg began playing together in January 2002, when coach Dave Lewis delivered a stroke of genius and put them with right wing Brett Hull. The line was split up to start this season, because with the departures of Sergei Fedorov and Igor Larionov the Wings needed centers, the position Zetterberg played in Sweden. But the coaching staff never forgot what an impact the three could have, which is why, when the Wings needed a jolt to get out of the first round, the answer was easy.

After two straight losses to Nashville yielded a tie series, Lewis put Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Hull back together for Game 5. Within seven minutes the line had given the team a 2-0 lead. The Wings had the series wrapped up one game later.

Although the line didn't score in Game 6, it wasn't for lack of threat. During the second period, for instance, Datsyuk drove to the net and dropped a pass into the slot for Zetterberg, who was too tightly covered by the Predators to get off a good shot.

Of all the All-Stars the Wings have, it was Datsyuk, 25, and Zetterberg, 23 -- together mostly with Hull -- who worried the Predators the most, drawing their top defensive pairing of Kimmo Timonen and Mark Eaton.

"They're pretty unique players," captain Steve Yzerman said of Datsyuk and Zetterberg. "They've become, very quickly, top players in the league. They're tremendous offensive guys, but play well in their own end as well. They're tough to match up against because they play hard and they're very smart and very strong. We're thrilled to have them. They work extremely well together."

Three-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom occasionally goes against the two in practice. Even when it's all among teammates, they're not much fun for a defenseman.

"You have to spend a lot of time in your own end chasing them, and it's tough to defend that," Lidstrom said. "Pavel is a bit more tricky with the puck, but Hank gains a lot of ice just kind of holding you off on the side, whereas Pavel can stickhandle right through you, turn back and go against the flow almost. So they're a little bit different that way, but they're both real tough to play against."

The chemistry the two have on the ice has, by several accounts, blossomed because of their camaraderie off the ice. The coaching staff placed them together as road roommates at the start of the season, and that, as the great line goes, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

"Very good, yeah," Datsyuk said. "We have a lot of fun, outside, inside."

The two used to spend hours indulging in PlayStation's FIFA soccer, but then, "I killed him so he doesn't want to play any more," Zetterberg said.

The two kick around a real soccer ball as part of their pregame ritual, but there's some dispute about the standings.

"PlayStation, he win a couple times, so I no more play," Datsyuk said. "It's not my game. Real soccer, I beat him."

Except, according to Zetterberg, he's winning.

"That stuff he said about real soccer?" Zetterberg said. "Not true. I'm up by four."

The two are constant dinner companions on the road, and often find their way to a cinema afterward. Asked what type of movies they like, Datsyuk smiled.

"Romances and drama," he said. "After movie, we cry."

They have plans for the future. With a labor dispute expected to wipe out at least part of next season, Zetterberg is encouraging Datsyuk to come play in Sweden.

"He teaches me Swedish," Datsyuk said, pronouncing it "Sch-wedish." Asked for an example, Datsyuk had only one. "Shooklaad," he replied, pronouncing the Swedish word "choklad."

Which makes sense. Because if there's one word that's going to help Datsyuk when a coach starts talking about the power play in Swedish, it's to reply "chocolate." It's certainly much more insightful than the old standard for foreign-language beginners, "Hello, friend, my name is . . . . How are you? I am fine."

They talk about hockey, too, and the playoffs. Datsyuk had the rare fortune to win the Stanley Cup as a rookie, in 2002, while Zetterberg's rookie season, last year, ended after a four-game, first-round loss to Anaheim. Now the two have become integral parts of the team. Zetterberg was the Wings' best forward until his injury, Datsyuk the best overall. Together they are a pure migraine to opponents, and a perfect match for each other.

"When me and Pavel go out there together, it works for both of us," Zetterberg said. "We do a lot of good stuff out there. We like to play with each other and we haven't been playing the whole year, so when they put us together for the playoffs, it was great. It's fun, because every time, something happens."

And that's no joke.

CONGRATULATIONS HENRIK ZETTERBERG AND DETROIT REDWINGS!

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, April 17th, 2004

The Detroit Redwings have defeated the Nashville Predators, four games to two, in the best of seven Western Conference Quarterfinals. The Redwings won game six 2-0, with a shutout by Curtis Joseph tonight in Nashville.

It was an important victory after the highly favored Wings were swept in the first round of the playoffs last season by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Detroit won games one and two this round but the Predators came back to win two games at home, tying up the series and putting the pressure on the Redwings.

Thats when Henrik Zetterberg played his best playoff game ever and helped the Redwings to a critical 4-1 win

in Detroit in game five. With a goal and an assist it was Zetterberg’s most impressive post season performance in his two year career. Tonight's clinching victory gives Zetterberg his first winning experience in the National Hockey League post season. With a goal, two assists, and an even plus/minus against Nashville he now has four points in ten career playoff games. Zetterberg had a goal but was a -4 in the four game sweep by the Ducks last year.

Zetterberg lifts Wings over Predators in Game Five!

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, April 15, 2004

Henrik Zetterberg played his best playoff game ever and helped the Detroit Redwings to a critical 4-1 victory over the visiting Nashville Predators in so far the biggest game of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. With a goal and an assist it was Zetterberg’s most impressive post season performance in his two year career. His superior play can be attributed to finally being teamed up with superstar linemates Brett Hull and Pavel Datsyuk for a complete game. Maybe Redwings coach Dave Lewis reads Zetterbergfan.com?

The line came out ready to play, controlling the puck, and creating much needed offense. The opening goal came just 3:19 into the first period. Center Pavel Datsyuk controlled the puck along the end boards behind Nashville’s goal and fed an awesome backhand pass between his legs to Zetterberg streaking in between the faceoff circles alone. The young Swedish forward froze Predator’s goalie Thomas Vokoun with a few quick dekes and then displayed great patience holding the shot as he drew the netminder to dive to his left and outstretched onto his stomach. Zetterberg lifted a sweet backhanded shot over Vokoun and into the back of the empty net. He displayed uncharacteristic excitement, letting out a yell with arms raised, celebrating the huge momentum shifting goal, as the Wings scored a first period goal for the first time in all five first round games. Detroit has lost the last two games, having problems scoring on the red-hot Nashville goaltender. The goal was Zetterberg’s first of the series and his second career playoff goal. He now has four points in nine games.

The Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Hull combination, dubbed as “Two Kids and a Goat”, was back at it again on their very next shift. Just three minutes later at 6:22 of the first period, Zetterberg and Datsyuk assisted on what would end up being Brett Hull’s game-winning goal. The play was set up by the two youngsters cycling the puck with a set of nifty passes along the leftwing boards in the Predator’s zone. “Zata” bounced the puck off the boards to himelf and then knocked it down low to Datsyuk, who, in turn, handed it back off to Zeterberg skating into the corner. Zetterberg turned back and slipped a nice backhander between two defenders and onto Datsyuk’s stick in the left face-off circle. Datsyuk circled around in the corner and used great vision to find Brett Hull sneaking in alone and sending another backhanded pass into the slot. Hull stuffed the puck in the goal low on Vokoun’s stick side, making the game 2-0. Zetterberg and Datsyuk were both a +2 and were the first two stars of the game. The Redwings won the game 4-1 and took a three games to two lead in the best of seven series.

“We said we needed a good start by playing our game, and if we did, that it would turn out good. It’s important to get a good start, and we did.”, said Zetterberg.

BACK IN COMMAND: WINGS WIN GAME FIVE 4-1
By Eva Gronowska, Redwingsworld.com, April 16, 2004

It didn’t take them long, either. Only 3:19 into the first period, Datsyuk made an incredible pass through his legs and behind him to Zetterberg. Hank then shook Vokoun, laid him out on the ice and put it over Nashville’s pride and joy to earn his first goal of the series and his second career playoff goal.

“Pavel had the puck and my D went to him and left me open in front of the net. Got a great pass and held on to it a little bit and put it in,” Zetterberg described.

“I didn’t see a lot of net, so I tried to have a little patience and it worked out well.”

PLAYOFF PRIMER

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, April 16, 2004

Highlights of the Detroit Red Wings' 4-1 victory against the Nashville Predators Thursday in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series:

Key play: The Wings desperately needed to score a goal in the first period, something they hadn't done in the first four games of the series. When Henrik Zetterberg flipped in a backhand shot over Nashville goaltender Tomas Vokoun at the 3:19 mark, a huge burden was lifted and the Wings were able to play with confidence the rest of the night.

Hero: This was the kind of performance the Wings needed from Zetterberg in the playoffs. They need him to step up and be a leader on the ice, and that's just what he did, scoring a goal and setting up another. He fought off the physical play that seemed to stymie him earlier in the series.

Analysis: Nashville doesn't look quite as fast when the Wings are playing like they should. Why they couldn't play like this in any of the previous four games remains a mystery. The most encouraging sign was the play of their young stars, Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. When those guys are doing what they do best, nobody can call the Wings an old team. Now they must display the same energy and passion in Game 6, act as if they're facing elimination. Because if they let the Predators off the hook, anything can happen in a Game 7.

Budding Stars Break Through

By John Niyo, The Detroit News, April 15, 2004

They came to play, so they played a lot. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, the Red Wings’ two budding stars, finally played starring roles in a playoff game Thursday, leading the way in a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators in Game 5 of a Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Datsyuk, held to an assist in his last eight playoff games, set up the Wings’ first two goals early in the first period Thursday. In that same three-minute scoring burst, Zetterberg merely doubled his career playoff point total with a goal — off a nifty between-the-legs pass from Datsyuk — and an assist.

“There’s tremendous chemistry there,” Wings Coach Dave Lewis said. “They like being on the ice together, and they’re very creative. There’s just something there with them, an intangible.”

Lewis hopes it’s contagious, as it appeared to be in Game 5. Lewis shuffled his forward lines throughout Thursday’s game, but he never broke up the Datsyuk-Zetterberg duo.

“It was fun out there tonight, and it worked well — we played our game,” said Zetterberg, whose patience was rewarded on the first goal as he waited — and waited — before lifting a backhand shot over Predators goaltender Tomas Vokoun.

“That was huge. Hank made a great move, he showed a lot of patience,” said Brendan Shanahan, who played right wing with the youngsters for a time in Game 5. “And with Pavel ... they’re just so slick together.

“They’ve been our best players all year long, and they definitely were our best players in the first period tonight. They took charge, they took over.”

Fired-up Red Wings blast Predators, light up The Joe

By Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News, April 15, 2004

Henrik Zetterberg scored on the game’s first shot, taking a beautiful between-the-legs pass from Pavel Datsyuk in front of goalie Tomas Vokoun. Zetterberg waited, glided, waited, shot, and beat Vokoun cleanly.

The crowd exhaled. And you know what? The Wings did, too.

That wasn’t even the dirty goal they figured it would take to break their slump. It was a classic Wings goal, but more than that, it was a classic Datsyuk-Zetterberg play, something we’d been waiting to see.

These two are the underrated, unknown elements for the Wings, young legs playing their first major roles in the postseason.

Tracking Trends

By Michael Katz, Detroit News, April 15, 2004

For the the second time in these playoffs, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg got points in the same game, but the Wings lost the last time, 3-1 in Game 3. That bucked a trend in the regular season, with the Red Wings going 9-2-2 when Datsyuk and Zetterberg got at least a point.

“Two Kids and a Goat” Line is Electric

By Chris Turner, zetterbergfan.com, April 11, 2004

Detoit Redwings Coach Dave Lewis likes to change lines around. He learned it from the master, Scotty Bowman, who loved to mix things up. Any time offence needs a boost, mix up the line combinations.

There is one combination that always has chemistry, always generates scoring chances, if he would just leave them together for an entire three periods.

The “Two Kids and a Goat” line consists of dazzling Russian center Pavel Datsyuk, future Hall of Fame sniper Brett Hull, and Swedish playmaker and energy player, Henrik Zetterberg. The line was Detroits most exciting and productive line last year. Hull gave the line its nickname last season poking fun at himself for being the oldman on the line with the two future stars. But when they are together Hull doesn’t look old.

Hull and Datsyuk are usually paired together. Coach Lewis knows the potential of Datsyuk making plays and dishing the puck to Hull who finds openings and is usually alone for one-timers. But the pairing hasn’t found its scoring touch lately and hasn’t had any points in the playoffs. It is when you add Zetterberg to the mix that the line is at its best. Zetterberg is the spark plug for this machine. He is the catalyst. He skates hard and through defenders, digs the puck out of the corner, and makes beautiful passes to the goal scorers.

That was the case tonight in Nashville, game three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals matchup. Losing 2-0 in the third period Lewis finally pulled Zetterberg off of the “fourth line” with Yzerman and Whitney and swapped him with veteran Steve Thomas. The re-united Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Hull line was electric, creating many scoring chances on every shift. It was the line that got the Redwings back into the game.

5:21 into the period Zetterberg fought for the puck along the end boards behind the Nashville goal. He took a cross check in the back and shook another defender off, spinning back to his left away from the net. He then sent a great backhand pass out between the faceoff circles to Brett Hull who was once again alone., because all of Zetterberg’s maneuvering had drawn the defence down low. Hull banged the puck off of Predator’s goalie Thomas Vokoun once but buried glove side on a second chance. The goal made the game 2-1 and put pressure on Nashville. Down two games to none in the round. However, the Predators went on to score late in the period giving them a 3-1 win at home. The point was also the first of the playoffs this year for all three Redwings. Zetterberg has two points in 7 career playoff games.

Hopefully, Coach Lewis reckognizes the magic this line has together and the trouble they make for the other team. If he keeps them together it would be impossible for opponents to cover this line and the “top line” of power forwards Robert Lang, Brendan Shanahan, and Tomas Holmstrom. Add the “Grind Line” of Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, and Darren McCarty, as well as the Captain Steve Yzerman’s line with skilled veterans Steve Thomas and Ray Whitney and you have four lines that most teams can’t match.

“I just try to forget about last year! I don’t even want to think about it, really.” “It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the regular season, you have to do it in the playoffs. This is when it counts.” –Henrik Zetterberg when asked about last years playoffs and this years successful regular season.

More experienced Zetterberg is eager for long playoff run

BY HELENE ST. JAMES, FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER, APRIL 6^th, 2004

For a brief part of Monday's practice, Henrik Zetterberg was back playing left wing with Pavel Datsyuk and Brett Hull, his old linemates from last season.

Zetterberg spent the majority of the time, though, centering his usual wingers from this season, Ray Whitney and Steve Yzerman. That's likely where he'll be when the Red Wings open the playoffs Wednesday against Nashville. But the point was: Anything is an option.

Though in only his second NHL season, Zetterberg is highly skilled and highly versatile.

The fact that he has another season of experience should benefit Zetterberg, who barely registered in last spring's four-game disaster. (He had one goal.)

"I've played more games, so I'm a little bit more comfortable," he said. "It felt bad last year. The playoffs build up for so long a time, and then it was over in under two weeks.

"I think you learn something from that, though. It's quick, and you have to be ready from the beginning."

A broken leg this season limited Zetterberg to 43 points in 61 games. But he plays the second-most minutes among the forwards with an average of 18:14 (Pavel Datsyuk averages 18:16), and he plays both special teams. He quarterbacks a power-play unit -- along with defenseman Mathieu Schneider -- that has Yzerman, Robert Lang and Brendan Shanahan roaming down low.

HOOP FEVER: Who knew NCAA basketball was huge in Sweden? Of all people, it was Zetterberg who ranked near the top of the Red Wings' NCAA tournament pool.

"Hank had some unbelievable picks," Mathieu Dandenault said. "Although he picked Duke to win, he finishes second no matter what." Asked if Zetterberg might have had some help, Dandenault smirked. "I think so. I mean, like, he had Xavier going a ways. . . . He had all the right upsets. He did real well. I'll finish third or something."

Red Wings Rap Mailbag

By John Niyo, The Detroit News, April 12, 2004

When Steve Yzerman retires, what current Wings player would be deserving of wearing the captain’s “C”.

In the future, don’t be surprised to see Henrik Zetterberg filling the role. He already is the Wings’ do-everything forward — he’s their Peter Forsberg-in-training — and he seems to have the right mental make-up to handle the leadership responsibilities.

Wings have options when they need new captain

By Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News, April 6^th, 2004

DETROIT --Steve Yzerman has been here so long, it’s difficult to imagine the Red Wings’ franchise without their franchise player.

Yzerman, 38, isn’t going anywhere next season unless a lockout accelerates his departure plans. Still, while he always will be “The Captain,” he will retire in the not-so-distant future, and the Wings will have to find a new captain.

“I know who I have in my mind,” Wings Coach Dave Lewis said about the team’s next captain. “But I’m not going to say. I don’t have to pick him now.”

“(Having a guy with longevity) is the ideal situation, but I don’t know that’s always going to happen, just the way the industry is. You’d like to be able to pick a guy who’s going to be around a long time and he feels comfortable with his position on the team and in the locker room.”

Since Lewis has no desire to reveal his choice, here are some plausible options: Nicklas Lidstrom, who just signed a $20 million, two-year extension; Darren McCarty and Kris Draper, both of whom qualify in terms of longevity with the team; Shanahan; and young guns Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.

Lidstrom has called fellow Swede Zetterberg the next Yzerman, at least as a force on the ice.

“He’s got the potential to do that,” Lidstrom said. “He has got all the talent. He has got the heart and determination as well.”

Zetterberg is 23 and Datsyuk is 25, but that really doesn’t mean much when you consider that Yzerman was the youngest captain in franchise history.

“Look how young he was when he was named captain,” Draper said of Yzerman. “It’s probably something that he got better at. He’s just a guy who goes out and leads by example, and he has a great feel for this hockey club and a great sense for when something needs to be said.

One Point Shy of Rookie Mark

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, April 4, 2004

Despite several great scoring chances and a few nearly missed goals on beautiful moves, Henrik Zetterberg could not register a point in the Detroit Redwings regular season finale, a 4-1 loss at home to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Redwings played like a team that had clinched the top-seed in the NHL and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

Zetterberg, however, played with jump and played like he wanted to get just one more point, to give himself 44 for the season, which would have tied his rookie total in 18 less games played this year. As it ends, he comes up just one shy, 43, with 15 goals and 28 assists in 61 games during this sophomore campaign. That’s a pretty impressive season considering Zetterberg missed 21 games this year due to a fractured leg, on a slash by defenseman Bryan Allen of the Canucks, in a game on November 3^rd.

Zetterberg averaged .70 points per game this season in comparison to the .56 he averaged last year. Had he played 79 games this season he may have had about 56 points, which would have ranked third on the team behind Brett Hull and Pavel Datsyuk, who each had 68. Brendan Shanahan finished with 53.

Overall, it was a great regular season for Zetterberg. With the loss of Sergei Fedorov via free agency and the expectation that veteran Captain Steve Yzerman would play right wing and only half the games to prevent wear and tear on his surgically repaired knee, Zetterberg started the season as the Redwings top center between wingers Brendan Shanahan and newcomer Ray Whitney. Yzerman played great and after just one game, Zetterberg was moved back to left wing with center Pavel Datsyuk and future Hall-of- Famer Brett Hull. The line dubbed “Two Kids and a Goat” was one of last seasons most exciting and productive in the NHL. Zetterberg played several games with that line this season as Coach Dave Lewis shuffled lines often. Henrik ended up playing most of his games this year centering Shanahan and fellow Swede Tomas Holmstrom. However, due to trading for top scoring center Robert Lang from the Washington Capitals and late season injuries to both Lang and tenacious center Kris Draper, he ended up taking Draper’s position as the “Grind Line” center between checkers Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty, a move that may have affected his points total.

With everyone becoming healthy again at the end of the regular season, it remains to be seen who will be lined up with whom in the first round of the playoffs. With his constant shuffling of lines, partly due to injuries and partly to Lewis’s tendencies, no-one other than Hull and Datsyuk have had time to gel with each other. It is likely that Draper will center the grinders. Lang has mostly played between Shanahan and Holmstrom. That leaves the probable line combos of Zetterberg as left wing with either Datsyuk and Hull, or with Yzerman and Whitney.

Detroit will face the Nashville Predators in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Zetterberg has three goals and one assist and is a +5 in nine career games against the division opponent Predators.