December 2011
Wings Still Rave About 2009 Winter Classic
By Brian Hedger, NHL.com, December 30th, 2011
Three years have passed, but the memories of the 2009 NHL Winter Classic remain vivid for the participants.
Back then, there was plenty of pre-game hype for the matchup but HBO's "24/7" documentary series wasn't a part of it. HBO didn't enter the fun until last season's game in Pittsburgh, earning rave reviews immediately for their behind-the-scenes depictions.
Thinking back on it, Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg joked that it's probably a good thing HBO wasn't involved in filming the lead-up to that Winter Classic in the Windy City -- mainly because of his own team's low-key style off the ice. Thus, he's not sure how appealing "24/7" would be if the Wings wind up in a future Winter Classic game.
"We've been talking about it and we'd probably be the most boring team they've had on there," Zetterberg told NHL.com on Friday. "We'll see what happens."
Nicklas Lidstrom: Still Perfect After All These Years
By Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Sports.Yahoo.com, December 30th, 2011
The calendar is about to flip to 2012, but when it comes to Nicklas Lidstrom, the Detroit Red Wings are already thinking ahead to 2013.
Lidstrom is 41. He is playing on his second straight one-year, $6.2 million contract. He will turn 42 on April 28, and he will evaluate his future after the Wings’ season ends, not before. His teammates respect that.
But they can’t help themselves. They see how Lidstrom’s greatness remains undiminished, making him a candidate to catch Bobby Orr in the record book and win his eighth Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman. They seize every opportunity to tease their captain about coming back in 2012-13.
“It’s good … for next year,” said teammate Henrik Zetterberg with a smile and without prompting. “You always think for next year.”
Zetterberg laughed.
“You don’t want it to be the last when he keeps playing like this,” Zetterberg said. “He’s still one of the best out there, and he’ll probably go up for the Norris again. It’s amazing at that age what he still can do.”
So this isn’t just the media manufacturing a story? The Wings really raise the subject themselves?
“Oh, yeah,” Zetterberg said. “We do. We try all the time. As soon as something positive comes up, we remind him of that. We’re trying. We know it’s going to be his decision – and their family’s decision – after the season. But I think it’s a little easier if he keeps playing the way he does.”
“You feel calm when he’s the last guy back there, even if it’s a 2-on-1 or a 3-on-1,” Zetterberg said. “You always know he will make it tough on them, and especially on those kind of plays, knocking pucks down and giving himself an extra second when he needs one. When no one else really can do it, he can do it. I think that’s one of the big reasons he’s still the way he is and how good he is, because he has that seventh sense up there.”
'ChiTown' showdown looms for Red Wings
DailyTribune.com, December 29th, 2011
Thirty six games into the season and the Detroit Red Wings have yet to meet the Chicago Blackhawks.
“It is kind of strange we haven’t faced them yet but we will face them a lot here now. They are fun games. Except for the Joe, I will say (Chicago is) one of the top (arenas to play in). Especially the way it’s been going the last 7-8 years, first time I came to that building there was no one in there and the last four years it’s been amping up really good. It’s a great atmosphere, real loud building to play in.”
-Henrik Zetterberg, December 29th, 2011 on playing divisional rival Chicago Blackhawks.
Ryan Kesler Knee-on-Knee Hit on Zetterberg
By Ansar Khan, MLive.com, December 22nd, 2011
Wednesday night’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks was fast-paced and entertaining, just like it was billed, and quite eventful in the third period.
Roberto Luongo made 38 saves as the Canucks built an early lead and held off the Red Wings’ late push for a 4-2 victory at Rogers Arena in a clash between two of the NHL’s hottest teams.
The momentum shifted early in the third period when Vancouver was clinging to a one-goal lead.
Niklas Kronwall lined up Ryan Kesler, turning his back to him to deliver a huge check inside the Canucks blue line. It led to a brief scuffle, during which an enraged Kesler tried to fight Kronwall but wound up taking a roughing penalty.
But Alexander Edler scored a short-handed goal only 15 seconds later to give Vancouver a 4-2 lead at 3:30.
Both plays were filled with controversy.
Jannik Hansen drove to the net with the puck and slid into Jimmy Howard, sending the goalie into the net. Edler fired in the loose puck. The goal was allowed to stand because officials ruled that Henrik Zetterberg pushed Hansen into Howard, who roughed it up with Hansen.
"Z never pushed him. I watched the replay," Howard said. "Hansen leans into him, he loses his footing, just steamrolls me.
Zetterberg said Hansen lost his balance.
"He comes with a lot of speed, I tried to get the puck, he falls down, hits the goalie," Zetterberg said. "I thought for sure (it would be disallowed). You see the stuff that’s been called this year, stuff that happens to goaltenders. I was surprised there was no call."
Kesler later delivered a knee-on-knee hit on Zetterberg, who was a bit shaken but fine after the game.
Kesler said "he had no idea" about the hit, but Zetterberg called it a stupid play.
"He comes with his knee. I see him, he sees me," Zetterberg said. "I think he was a little frustrated by the big hit from Kronner and he was just going around and trying to find stuff."
- Henrik Zetterberg, stating the obvious about Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks. December 21st, 2011
By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, December 21st, 2011
There are reports that in a documentary about his life, Peter Forsberg contends the '06 Swedish Olympic hockey team threw a game to the Slovaks so the Swedes would next play the Swiss rather than the Russians or Canadians. Lidstrom -- that team's captain, and the guy who scored the gold-medal winning goal -- naturally had a diplomatic response.
"In my view," he said, "that game didn't really mean anything to us and it meant everything for the Slovaks. I know we didn't throw the game, or didn't try to lose."
Lidstrom also pointed out the topic was beat into the ground at the time. Zetterberg suggested something got lost in translation, hinted maybe, just maybe, it's about publicity, and otherwise echoed Lidstrom in saying, "they had to win. I think that was the difference."
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, December 19th, 2011
With an assist tonight on linemate Jiri Hudler’s 2nd period goal, in the Detroit Red Wings’ 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers, Henrik Zetterberg now has a six-game points streak. And, he has registered 16 total points (5 goals and 11 assists) with a +7 (plus/minus) in the last 14 games, including 3 goals in a four game period.
Prior to his current hot streak, Z had only tallied 3 goals and 4 assists in the first 18 games of the season raising serious concerns about the decline in production.
In tonight’s victory, we also witnessed some classic Zetterberg penalty killing when he and defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart killed a 56-second two-man Oilers advantage. While short-handed by two men, Zetterberg intercepted a pass and carried the puck into Edmonton’s zone, eating valuable seconds off of the clock.
Henrik Zetterberg Top-shelf Backhand Goal against Kings Youtube.com, December 17th, 2011
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, December 17th, 2011
Henrik Zetterberg scored his eigth goal of the season and his third goal in four games in the Detroit Red Wings 8-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings at the Joe Louis Arena.
Z scored on a nice backhander into the top corner over goalie Jonathan Bernier with just under eight minutes remaining in the second period to give the Wings a 5-2 lead.
Red Wings Want Crosby in Penguins' Lineup
By Dani Wakiji, FoxSportsDetroit.com, December 12th, 2011
Red Wings fans might not love Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby, but the Red Wings themselves appreciate him and what he represents to the league.
Unfortunately, Crosby will not be in the lineup when the two teams meet in Pittsburgh Tuesday night. The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar said Monday he's dealing with a recurrence of concussion-like symptoms and is out indefinitely.
"We need him," Henrik Zetterberg said after the Wings practiced Monday. "You saw those games he came back and played, the boost that came with it.
"You want him to be healthy and back playing. We all need him. Hopefully, he will feel better."
Zetterberg was matched up against Crosby's line when the two teams squared off in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2008 and 2009. Although Crosby's team won the Cup in 2009, he only had one goal and two assists and was minus-3 in the seven-game series.
"You want to have him in the game and you want to win," Zetterberg said. "You don't want to have him in the game and lose. But I think it is a rivalry.
"We've seen each other so much last few years in the playoffs. That's what it's all about. You want to have those battles in between certain players, and he's definitely one of them you want have a battle against.
"He's probably the best player in the league when he's healthy, and those are the kind of match-ups you will remember when you retire."
Zetterberg Comes Up Big in 1st Game against Winnipeg; Continues Mastery of the “Atlanta Thrashers” Franchise
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, December 10th, 2011
Henrik Zetterberg Scored the eventual game-winning goal 14:56 into the 1st period to put the Detroit Red Wings ahead in what ended as a 7-1 victory over the “new” Winnipeg Jets tonight in Detroit.
Zetterberg took a drop pass from Valtteri Filppula in the left face-off circle and fired a slapshot over the glove of goalie Ondrej Pavelec to give Detroit a 2-1 lead.
Hank also added an assist on a goal by linemate Jiri Hudler just 1:12 into the 3rd period, making it a 7-1 game.
Tonight was the Red Wings’ first game against the Winnipeg Jets since they relocated from Atlanta this off-season. Winnipeg had been without a team since the original Winnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix and became the Coyotes in 1997.
The recent move from Atlanta to Winnipeg didn’t change Zetterberg’s domination over the franchise. In 9 career games against the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets, Z now has 5 goals and 10 assists for 15 total points. Zetterberg’s 1.67 points-per-game versus the former Thrashers is his best against any NHL franchise.
Zetterberg Passes Larson for 10th on Red Wings All-Time Scoring List
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, December 8th, 2011
Henrik Zetterberg recorded a pair of assists in the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes tonight at the Joe Louis Arena.
With the first point, an assist on Valtteri Filppula’s goal, just 2:09 into the 1st period, Zetterberg passed Reed Larson for 10th place on the Red Wings All-time scoring leaders list with 571 points (235 goals and 336 assists) in 613 career games.
Reed Larson played 708 career games in 10 seasons with Detroit from 1977 to 1986. He recorded 188 goals and 382 assists as a Red Wing. His best season was 1982-83 when he scored 22 goals and had 52 assists for a career high 74 total points. He had scored a career high 27 goals in 1980-81.
