December 2009
Losing Eats at Injured Red Wing Henrik Zetterberg
By Chris McCosky, Detroit News, December 30th, 2009
Henrik Zetterberg was back on the ice for a full practice Wednesday. Zetterberg, out with a shoulder injury, is expected to return some time during the Wings' West Coast road trip that starts Saturday in Phoenix.
"It's a little different skating by yourself than skating with the guys," Zetterberg said. "It feels a lot better skating by myself. It's still a ways away, but I don't know how long. It still gets me when I shoot or pass; when I do stuff quickly and I am not really controlling myself. That's when it gets me."
Zetterberg, like the rest of the wounded Wings, is getting antsy sitting out while the team is struggling to score goals.
"It's really tough," Zetterberg said. "It's never fun to be injured, especially when the team is losing. That makes it a lot tougher."
The Wings have lost four of their last five.
Team Sweden Names 2010 Olympic Roster
By Shawn P. Roarke, NHL.com, December 27, 2009
Starting goalie Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and backup Stefan Liv are back, as are defenseman Niklas Kronwall and Nicklas Lidstrom, both from the Detroit Red Wings, and Tampa Bay's Mattias Ohlund. Up front, coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson welcomes back Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson, former NHLer Peter Forsberg (now playing for Modo in Sweden), Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom, Columbus' Fredrik Modin and Samuel Pahlsson, Vancouver's Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, and Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg.
Unfortunately four of that baker's dozen are currently on the shelf with injuries and may not be available in mid-February. Injury replacements are allowed until Feb. 15, when final rosters are registered with the IIHF. No replacements will be allowed, for any reason, after that date.
Alfredsson, the Senators' captain, separated his shoulder this week and will be out four-to-six weeks. Kronwall, meanwhile, suffered a knee injury in late November and could be gone for another month. Zetterberg separated his left shoulder on Dec. 18, but is expected back in the first week of January, barring any setbacks.
Forsberg joined Modo, his hometown team, this season as he attempts another comeback from the foot injuries that have plagued his career.
Henrik Zetterberg Out at Least Two Weeks with Slightly Separated Shoulder
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, December 18, 2009
Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg will be out a minimum of two weeks with a slightly separated left shoulder, the club announced today.
Zetterberg was injured with 1:43 remaining in the first period of Thursday's 3-0 win over
Zetterberg was in the dressing room today after practice and said he has no issues with the hit, which came, ironically, from a Swedish Olympic teammate.
“It was a clean hit,'' Zetterberg said. "I reached for the puck instead of going for his body, and he made a good hit. Next time I won’t do the same thing.’’
What's next for him?
“I think it’ll be a lot of ice and stim for the next few days to get the swelling down and then start do some more rehab,'' Zetterberg said.
He joins an incredibly long list of injured Red Wings: forwards Johan Franzen (knee), Valtteri Filppula (wrist), Jason Williams (leg), Dan Cleary (shoulder) and defensemen Niklas Kronwall (knee) and Jonathan Ericsson (knee).
“I never been through this many injuries on one team in one year,'' Zetterberg said. "Nothing you can do, just have to battle through it. When we call come back we’ll have a strong team.’’
Henrik Zetterberg has Shoulder Injury, Sent for MRI
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, December 17, 2009
Postgame update:
Coach Mike Babcock said Zetterberg injured his left shoulder and was sent to a hospital for an MRI. He said Zetterberg drove himself to the hospital.
“He’s got a shoulder problem,'' Babcock said. "He got hit and then he fell on his shoulder. He’s at the MRI right now. He drove himself over. He’s probably upset with himself. He shouldn’t have got hit like that. But, what do you do?’’
Babcock later added, “His left shoulder is probably hurt a little bit. Is it separated, how bad? I don’t have any idea. And how long he’ll be out, I don’t know.’’
Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg rocked by Mattias Ohlund
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, December 17, 2009
Forward Henrik Zetterberg left Thursday's game against
The team called it "an upper-body injury'' and said he will not return to the game.
Ohlund caught Zetterberg in the head with his shoulder in the Lightning zone with 1:43 to play in the first period. Zetterberg was shaken up and, after a couple of minutes, helped off the ice by Nicklas Lidstrom and trainer Piet Van Zant.
Ohlund wasn't penalized. But Patrick Eaves took exception to the hit and confronted Ohlund. Eaves received a roughing penalty.
"That was unfortunate," Ohlund said. "I'm not trying to hurt anybody. I like to play hard."
Z Not Scoring Goals
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, December 16th, 2009
Despite leading the Detroit Red Wings with 22 assists and 32 points, Henrik Zetterberg has not been scoring many goals. He doesn’t have one in the last 8 games. Z’s last goal was scored on November 28th in a 4-3 shoot-out victory over the St. Louis Blues on a lucky bounce off the elbow of Blue’s defenseman Barrett Jackman. Hank has scored just one goal in the last 13 games and only 10 in 32 games this season. He is currently on pace for just 26 goals this year.
Zetterberg’s current eight games in a row without a goal is his longest streak since a nine game skid from December 15th 2008 to January 3rd, 2009.
Prior to that Zetterberg went eight straight matches without a tally from March 2nd to March 19th 2008. He previously had a nine game goalless streak from October 13th to November 1st, 2006.
Hank’s longest goal scoring drought lasted 14 games, going scoreless from December 12th, 2002 to January 8th, 2003.
Zetterberg scored just one goal in the last 13 games and has only 10 in 32 games this season. He is currently on pace for just 26 goals this year.
Hank Helps Set Up Bertuzzi’s Game-tying and Game-winning Goals in Come-from-behind Overtime Win; Passes Syd Howe on Red Wings Career Points List.
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, December 11th, 2009
Henrik Zetterberg assisted on Todd Bertuzzi’s even strength goal that tied the game 2-2 at 9:36 of the third period. Then, Hank help set up Bertuzzi’s power-play winner 1:07 into overtime, as the Detroit Red Wings came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Anaheim Ducks tonight at the Joe Louis Arena.
In the last two games at home against Anaheim, Zetterberg has collected 3 goals and 4 assists, including his 5-point hat-trick game on November 14th. Z now has 13 goals and 14 assists for .
Zetterberg’s two assists tonight were his team leading 21st and 22nd of the season. He is currently 11th in the NHL amongst assist leaders and is on pace for 58 assists this season. Henrik’s career high is 49 assists, set in 2007-08.
With two assists tonight, Zetterberg moved into 17th on the Red Wings All-time Scoring Leaders List with 337 total points for his career (193 goals and 244 assists in 463 games played) passing legendary Hall-of-Famer Syd Howe.
Hank has 6 assists in the last 6 games but hasn’t scored a goal during that stretch. He has only scored 1 goal in the past 12 games and will only score around 26 goals this year at his current rate. That would be Z’s lowest goal total since he scored only 15 in his sophomore season back in 2003-04.
Zetterberg’s Assists Lift Wings over Henrik Lundqvist and the
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, December 7, 2009
Swedes Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Lidstrom set up both the game-tying and game-winning goals as the Detroit Red Wings came from behind to defeat their countryman Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers 3-1 in an “Original Six” match-up last night at Madison Square Garden.
Playing on a recently reunited line with fellow Swede Tomas Holmstrom and “Eurotwin” Pavel Datsyuk seemed to spark Zetterberg’s play in last night’s match. Hank recorded his team leading 19th and 20th assists of the season and was a +2. It was his first plus in ten games. Zetterberg had been a -8 over the last nine games. He also had seven shots on goal.
The “ZDH” line had several scoring chances early and finally got on the board when Zetterberg set up linemate Pavel Datsuk’s first goal in eight games 11:59 into the 2nd period, tying the game at 1-1. Zetterberg got a backhand shot off from the left circle that went between the legs of Holmstrom and hit the pad of Ranger’s netminder Lundqvist. The rebound found Datsyuk near the crease and he was able to slip a quick shot under the goalie as he came across.
The game remained tied at one-a-piece until, with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, Zetterberg took a zone clearing pass from Lidstrom, carried the puck to the other end along the right wing boards, stopped at the right face-off circle, delayed, and sent a fantastic cross-ice pass to Dan Cleary, who was streaking in from the bench on a line change. Cleary had almost no angle on his shot, but managed to send the puck between the pads of Lundqvist, who knocked it into the net for what ended up being the game-winning tally.
"It was a really nice play by Z to try to hang on to it and find me coming in late. I just tried to get it on net," said Cleary after the game.
“Hank made a great play down the wing to Clears,’’ Lidstrom added.
Prior to setting up the game-winner, Zetterberg had a run-in with Ranger’s instigator and former Red Wing Sean Avery. Known as a dirty player, Avery dove to the ice and took Zetterberg’s skates out from under him as he cycled the puck down low. Of course, no penalty was called in front of the
Just seconds later, Z was called for “tripping” on a knee-to-knee contact play in which Avery’s leg was extended just as much as Hank’s. Avery instantly went down clutching his knee and his antics helped sell the call. He was able to skate off the ice just fine as Zetterberg headed to the penalty box.
With the two assists, Henrik now has 10 goals and 20 assists through 29 games played so far. He is on pace for just 28 goals, but a career-high 56 assists this season. His previous best is 49 assists in 75 games during the 2007-08 campaign.
The two points last night give Zetterberg 335 for his career (193 goals and 242 assists in 461 games played) tying him with legendary Hall-of-Famer Syd Howe for 17th on the Red Wings All-time Scoring Leaders List.
Wings May Unite Datzyuk, Zetterberg
By Mike G. Morreale, NHL.com, December 5th, 2009
What better way to jump-start a sagging offense than to have Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on the same line?
It could happen Saturday when the Detroit Red Wings, who have scored just nine goals in their last six games (2-4), face off against the New Jersey Devils at
"That's how they warmed up and we'll go from there," said Babcock, who was still noncommittal. "All we're trying to do is help our team win, so if that's the best way to help us win, that's what we'll do. We think Pavel is one of the best players in the League and all of us are in a battle of 'We're barely hanging on and we have to get better.' So right now, we're just trying to jump start our offense and that's why I had them together (on Friday in practice) and (Saturday)."
