January- May 2007

Zetterberg Extends Point Streak to Seven Games,

Gets Game-winner on Steve Yzerman’s Big Night

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 2, 2007

 

On the night Steve Yzerman’s #19 was lifted to the rafters in a pre-game ceremony at Joe Louis Arena, Henrik Zetterberg payed tribute to “the Captain” by scoring the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, currently the NHL’s best team.

The game-winner came at 16:51 of the second period, when linemate Tomas Holmstrom drew two Anaheim defensemen to the corner and made a fantastic spinning back-handed pass to Henrik, who was all alone in front of the crease. All he had to do was put his stick on the ice and knock the puck low past Duck’s goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.

The point in tonight’s match gives Zetterberg at least one point in each of his last seven games, tying his career-high points streak from Nov 17^th- December 1^st 2005.

 

Now it’s Official. Zetterberg Gets 200^th Career Point, Sets Career High Point Streak

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 4, 2007

 

This time it counts! Henrik Zetterberg got his 200^th career point (again), assisting on a 1^st period Tomas Holmstrom goal tonight in a 9-3 loss in San Jose. He is now tied with Dave Barr for 55^th on the Detroit Red Wings all-time scoring list.

The assist came on the power-play 8:47 into the opening frame…

The point extends Zetterberg’s career-best point streak to 8 games in a row, breaking his 7 game streak from November 17^th to December 1^st 2005. Henrik has 9 points in the last 8 games, dating back to December 20^th against Columbus, and has 13 points in the last 15 games.

Zetterberg was initially credited with an assist in Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, on what appeared to be a Mathieu Schneider goal from the blue line. Originally it was scored that way, giving Henrik his 199^th career point. Zetterberg later scored the game-winning goal, on Steve Yzerman’s jersey retirement night at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, which was thought to be his milestone 200^th point. A day after the game, NHL Officials reviewed the play and credited Tomas Holmstrom with the first goal, after it was determined that he had tipped Schneider’s shot while standing in front of the crease. The new ruling erased Zetterberg’s assist and taking away his first point of the night, bringing his career total back to 199.

Nearly half-way through the season, Henrik currently has 16 goals and 12 assists, and is on pace for 33 goals and 25 assists in 82 games this season.

 

Zetterberg's highlight-reel shoot-out goal nets Wings 4-3 win

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, January 10th, 2007

 

No gold medal was on the line, and it won't get him his own postage stamp, but it was the perfect time for Henrik Zetterberg to reach into his bag of tricks and pull out a slick move.

Zetterberg's spectacular shoot-out goal Tuesday gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. It snapped the Wings' three-game losing streak.

It's a move Zetterberg has tried before with no success. This time he beat Peter Budaj by deking to his left and, with one hand on his stick, depositing a soft backhand shot into the open right side of the net, much to the surprise of the Colorado goaltender.

It's the same move his fellow countryman, Peter Forsberg, used to win the gold medal for Sweden in the 1994 Olympics vs. Canada. The country minted a stamp in honor of Forsberg after that goal. Zetterberg said he first saw the move done by another Swede, Kent Nilsson, at the 1989 World Championships.

"When it works it looks nice, but when the goalie just stands there you kind of look foolish," Zetterberg said. "I probably have to figure out another move next time. It probably won't work anymore."

Said Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom: "It was as good as Peter's move. It might be worth a stamp here."

Linemates Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk were the stars. Zetterberg opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 7:20 of the first …

…Zetterberg's move secured a vital victory. It spoiled a 40-save performance from Budaj, who Babcock described as "outstanding." (Dominik) Hasek said Budaj couldn't be faulted for not stopping Zetterberg.

"It's tough on the goalie," Hasek said. "You little bit follow the body and little bit follow the puck. It looks like he makes a fool of the goalie, but it's a good move and you cannot blame the goalie."

Wings topple Avs on road

By Helene St. James, Free Press, January 10, 2007

 

Eurotwins Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk united their powers Tuesday night to help the Red Wings get their first victory on their five-game trip.

Zetterberg used a reach-back backhand to secure a 4-3 shootout victory over Colorado at Pepsi Center. It's the same move Peter Forsberg used to win Sweden the 1994 Olympic gold medal, but as every good Swede knows, the move was invented by someone else.

 "Actually," Zetterberg said, "it's Kent Nilsson. He was the first one who did it in a Swedish national game. I think a lot of guys do it now. ... It's something we do after practice when we fool around. When it works it looks nice, but when the goalie just stands there, you look kind of foolish. It was nice it worked."

Zetterberg's goal came after Datsyuk had deked to his forehand to score on goaltender Peter Budaj.

(Earlier) the Wings used their first power play to take the lead. Datsyuk picked up the puck behind the net, darted to the post and slipped a cross-slot pass for Zetterberg to snap past Budaj at 7:20 of the first period. But it wasn't until Zetterberg scored in the shootout that they got the two points badly needed. Zetterberg went up the middle, isolated his backhand, slid over and scored. Zetterberg said it's the third time he has scored such a goal.

"I probably have to figure out another move next time," he said. "I don't think it will work anymore."

 

Red Wings extend hex against Avs

Associated Press, Dailycamera.com, January 10, 2007

 

Detroit winger Henrik Zetterberg has moves that put him in some good company.

The 26-year-old used them against the Colorado Avalanche, scoring twice in regulation and adding the winning shot in the shootout to lift the Red Wings to a 4-3 victory on Tuesday night.

"The way he holds onto the puck to the last instance and then gently sliding it across the goal line," Colorado winger Milan Hejduk said. "That is Peter Forsberg."

Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk scored in the shootout and had a goal each in regulation to help Detroit end a three-game losing streak.

"That's a nice move that Zetterberg did on the shootout goal that Kent Nilsson was the first to do in the World Championships in 1989," Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said. "People remember Forsberg doing it for the gold medal."

Zetterberg didn't mind the comparison with Colorado's long-time standout and fellow Swede, who is now with Philadelphia.

"Forsberg did it in the Olympics and I think a lot of guys do it now," Zetterberg said. "When it works, it's nice, but if the goalie just stays in there, then you look kind of foolish."

 

They're Better when Together

By Helene St. James, Free Press, January 12, 2007

 

Whenever Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk play together, it becomes clear just how much better they make each other.

The Red Wings forwards spent the first two months of this season apart, before being reunited last month. Now both are putting subpar first halves behind them; entering Thursday's game against the Coyotes, Zetterberg had five goals and six assists in the past 11 games, and Datsyuk had four goals and four assists in his previous five games.

"We struggled a little bit before that, at the beginning of the season, both me and Pav, and ever since we've been playing together, it seems we're creating a lot more chances," Zetterberg said. "When you do that, of course you're going to produce more, too. I still think we can produce a lot more than we've been doing, points-wise, but the chances we've come up with have been pretty good."

The two read each other well, which comes from being partners consistently since Zetterberg joined the team in 2002-03, a year after Datsyuk's rookie season.

"When Pav has the puck, he knows where I am and vice versa," Zetterberg said. "You don't have to look -- you kind of know the areas where he is on the ice and most of the time, he is right there. We like to play the same style. Every time when we're playing together, we have fun."

Tomas Holmstrom knows that when he is on their line, everything gets simplified.

"They don't pass me the puck," he said, smiling. "I just go to the net and they do their thing and I do my thing. I think that's why it works. I stay away from them, and then once in a while, they feed me."

Just as Datsyuk and Zetterberg are more effective when they're together, the Wings are better when both are in the lineup. Datsyuk missed the first two games of this trip; as soon as he returned, the Wings looked like a different team.

…“(Pavel) and Hank obviously really enjoy playing with one another. You can see it. They create a lot of things for us. When those two are going well, we've got a good chance to win hockey games,” said Kris Draper.

 

ALL-STAR Henrik Zetterberg

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 13^th, 2007

 

In his fourth NHL season, Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg has been selected as a reserve for his first career All-Star Game by Western Conference coaches; Randy Carlyle of the Anaheim Ducks and Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators. He joins Red Wings future Hall-of-Fame defenseman Niklas Lidstrom, who was voted in as a starter by the fans, for the game which will take place in Dallas on January 24^th. The NHL hasn’t held an All-Star game since 2004, due to the 2004-2005 NHL lock-out and the 2006 Winter Olympics, in which Lidstrom and Zetterberg won the gold medal with Sweden.

"I found out this morning…kind of surprised. It's an honor,"said the humble Zetterberg.

Zetterberg wasn’t expected to be selected for the All-Star team. Having had an early season nine game point-less streak, he has only 17 goals and 16 assists through 44 games this season. His 33 points to date place him 71^st amongst all forwards in the NHL, and he is tied for 39^th in goals. Despite being off of last seasons scoring pace, Zetterberg excels at all aspects of the game, including back-checking in the defensive end and killing penalties. He is 10^th amongst NHL forwards with a plus 15 (+/-) so far. His defensive skills, combined with his offensive talent, make Zetterberg a solid choice for the All-Star game as well as a Selke trophy (best defensive forward) candidate this year.

The dip in Henrik’s statistics can be attributed in part to the Red Wings losing veterans Steve Yzerman to retirement and Brendan Shanahan to the New York Rangers via free agency. Opposing teams can now focus on stopping Zetterberg and line-mate Pavel Datsyuk by matching them up with their top defenseman. However, Zetterberg can still control the play and produce scoring opportunities in spite of the extra attention from opponents. He has obviously earned the respect of his peers and Western Conference coaches, and is deserving of being recognized as an All-Star.

 

Wings' Zetterberg an All-Star

By George Sipple, Free Press, January 13, 2007

 

Forward Henrik Zetterberg was the only other Wing selected to the Western Conference team. He’ll join defenseman Nick Lidstrom, who was voted in as a starter during fan balloting for the All-Star Game on Jan. 24. The reserves are selected by the NHL’s Hockey Operations department.
Wings general manager Ken Holland said he was glad that Zetterberg was among a large group of players selected to the All-Star Game for the first time. Ten players from the Western Conference will be playing in their first All-Star Game.
“Having a lot of first-time players, it shows there’s a lot of great new players in our league,” Holland said. “A changing of the guard to a certain degree.”
Zetterberg definitely belonged,” Holland said. “I think he’s the best two-way player in the National Hockey League and a star,” Holland said.

 

Zetterberg's Spectacular Goal Highlights Wings Win

By Ansar Kahn, Mlive.com, January 18, 2007

 

…Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg is becoming a human highlight reel himself.

Last week, Zetterberg scored a slick one-handed shoot-out goal to defeat Colorado. On Wednesday, he earned himself some more air time on ESPN's SportsCenter with a spin-o-rama move for a goal in Detroit's 5-3 victory against the Nashville Predators at Joe Louis Arena.

It wasn't the All-Star forward's only good move of the night. He scored two goals, moving into the team lead with 19, and added an assist. The Wings won their fifth consecutive game, snapped Nashville's six-game winning streak and moved to within two points of the Central Division-leading Predators.

Zetterberg's crowd-pleaser came 1:32 into the second period. He lugged the puck down the right wing, stopped in the face-off circle, spun around and fired a no-look backhand shot that handcuffed Nashville goaltender Tomas Vokoun. It tied the game at 2-2 and didn't please Predators coach Barry Trotz, who yanked Vokoun for Chris Mason.

"It just came into my head as I was coming down there,'' Zetterberg said. "I just tried to spin around and threw a backhander at the net and kind of got a little lucky. I don't know how it went in.''

Wings coach Mike Babcock said the puck "crawled up the paddle of (Vokoun's) stick.''

"No excuses, no explanation,'' Vokoun said. "The puck was in the net when it should have been stopped.''

Zetterberg said he's not sure if he's ever scored a goal like that.

"It was unbelievable,'' said teammate Jiri Hudler, who snapped a 3-3 tie by scoring what proved to be the winning goal at 14:16 of the second period. "Everybody thought he's going to pass and then he spins around and it went in. Everybody went, `Wow!' ''

Said Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom: "It really looked great from the bench. ''

Zetterberg's entire line has looked great of late. Pavel Datsyuk picked up four assists. He has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in his last nine games. The other linemate, Tomas Holmstrom, scored his ninth goal in the last 10 games and added an assist. Zetterberg has points in 15 of his last 16 games (seven goals, 14 assists).

Zetterberg also made a nice move on his first goal, switching from backhand to forehand to avoid a poke-check from Kimmo Timonen and firing a shot past Vokoun at 7:25 of the first period.

 

Red Light Special: The NHL's Hottest Line

By Brian Cazeneuve, SI.com, January 19, 2007

 

It was a dazzling sign of how well things are going in Detroit these days when Henrik Zetterberg of the Red Wings scored one of those goal-of-the-year candidates against Nashville on January 17. Early in the second period,  Detroit's left wing  exchanged passes with his linemates -- center Pavel Datsyuk and right wing Tomas Holmstrom -- skated to the high right slot, pulled a 360-degree spin-o-rama that would have made Denis Savard envious, and slid a harmless looking backhand under the left pad of Predators goalie Tomas Vokoun, who reacted late after being befuddled by Zetterberg's acrobatics.

"When you're running hot like that," said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, "those shots always seem to go in."

Not only do Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Holmstrom comprise the NHL's hottest line, they are also perhaps the most radically rejuvenated trio in years. "They are our offensive power now," says Wings goalie Dominik Hasek.

First, check out their numbers:

In his last six games, Zetterberg has three goals and nine assists, at least one point in 14 of his last 15, and has amassed eight goals, 14 assists and a +14 rating during that stretch. That's quite an improvement from the slump in which he failed to record a point in seven straight games from October 13 to 27.

Holmstrom went a puzzling 19 games without a goal from November 2 to December 22. He has now tied his career-high with a recent six-game point-scoring streak during which he had six goals, including a hat trick against Phoenix on January 11, and four assists. Since December 22, he has 10 goals, seven assists and a +9 rating in 14 games.

Datsyuk didn't record his fourth goal of the season until his 26th game, on December  5. In his last nine games, he has a sizzling six and 14 assists, including 11 assists in his last five games, and a +10 rating. He tied his career high for assists in a game (4) against Phoenix on January 11 and Nashville on January 17.

Yet, if you look at the stats, you can't point to increased ice time or additional power-play time as a reason for the trio's emergence. Each player has played roughly 18 to 22 minutes per game since opening night. So why the change?

Many reasons:

New speed: Consider Datsyuk's previous linemates over the years -- people like Brendan Shanahan and Brett Hull. They were great finishers who wanted to get the puck in shooting position (i.e. at the end of a rush). With Zetterberg and Holmstrom, both of whom are strong skaters, Datsyuk has taken time to get used to the idea of giving up the puck earlier in the rush.

Consistent speed: For one, Babcock has kept the three together consistently over the last month after breaking them up several times during the early part of the season. They are among the team's three best skating forwards, and the problem with mixing in a Robert Lang or Dan Cleary or even fellow European Mikael Samuelsson is that when one player skates at a different speed or skates at a different skill level than the other two, it can slow the line.

A wing and two centers: Datsyuk and Zetterberg are both natural centers, which explains why Babcock separated them early this season. But they also know one another's tendencies. Datsyuk jokes that he doesn't need to back-check when he has confidence that Zetterberg will be there to do it for him.

Datsyuk, a Russian, spent time working on his Swedish with Holmstrom and Zetterberg (and even former linemate Samuelsson) and he has taken to yelling instructions to his linemates in their native tongue. Having a Swedish captain, Nick Lidstrom, on the team doesn't hurt either.

With its top line on a tear, Detroit has ridden a five-game win streak to reach 65 points, fourth-best in the NHL and only four points off league-leading Nashville's 69.

 

Wings' Zetterberg will skip All-Star Game

By John Niyo, Detroit News, January 19, 2007

 

Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg won't be making his first All-Star Game appearance after all.

Zetterberg, after consulting with team officials and physicians, has decided to withdraw from Wednesday night's game at Dallas, citing a nagging wrist injury.

Zetterberg, the Wings' second-leading scorer with 19 goals and 21 assists, will be in the lineup tonight at Columbus, and he's also expected to play Saturday at Colorado in the final game before the All-Star break.

But Wings general manager Ken Holland said Friday that Zetterberg might have a cortisone shot to alleviate inflammation in his left wrist on Sunday or Monday. Zetterberg has been bothered by tendinitis in the wrist for nearly two years. The problem flared up again in August, forcing Zetterberg to fly to Detroit from his offseason home in Sweden to have the wrist examined by a hand specialist at Detroit Medical Center. He had a cortisone injection Aug. 14.

"He just feels that he needs to give his wrist a rest," Holland said. "He wants to take the opportunity to do that now rather than to continue beating on it."

Zetterberg's absence means defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom will be the Wings' lone All-Star representative.

 

Zetterberg out of All-Star Game
By Ansar Kahn, Mlive.com, January 20, 2007

Playing in his first NHL All-Star Game next week would have been a huge thrill for Henrik Zetterberg. But, the Detroit Red Wings forward decided it's more prudent to rest his ailing left wrist, so he has withdrawn from the game.

Zetterberg is experiencing tendinitis. It's not serious enough to keep him out of the lineup -- he played Friday in Columbus and is scheduled to play tonight in Colorado -- but the club is considering giving him a cortisone shot on Sunday or Monday. It would require 48-to-72 hours of rest, coinciding with the five-day All-Star break.

Zetterberg's wrist has bothered him for a couple of years. It got so bad last August that he flew from Sweden to Detroit to have it examined by a specialist. The club feared the wrist was broken, but tests revealed no fractures or ligament damage. He received a cortisone shot, returned to Sweden and was ready for the start of training camp.

"It was really good from the beginning of the season, but I would say it's been on and off. Lately, it's been worse and worse," Zetterberg said. "Just had a talk with Kenny (general manager Holland) and the medical staff and came to the decision that I have to say no."

"After he got named to the All-Star team, he came to me and expressed that his tendinitis has started to flare up," Holland said. "It's nothing like last summer, but given his history, he wants to make sure he's proactive rather than reactive. It's enough that it's a cause for concern."

Zetterberg said he hasn't come close to sitting out any games.

"When I tape it, it works OK. Some days it's good, some days it's really bad," he said. "Hopefully five days without any skating and shooting will settle it down and, knock on wood, it'll be better the rest of the season."

As for the cortisone shot, Zetterberg said: "It's no fun to have to take a shot for anything, but if it's necessary, I'm going to take it."

Andy McDonald of Anaheim will replace Zetterberg on the Western Conference team for Wednesday's All-Star Game in Dallas. Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom will be the Wings' lone representative.

You'd never know Zetterberg's wrist was bothering him the way he's playing. He had recorded at least one point in 15 of his last 16 games (seven goals, 14 assists) heading into Friday's game and led the team with 19 goals.

 

Wings Fly with Skilled, Imaginative Play

Larry Wigge, NHL.com, January 20, 2007

 

There has been no slight of hand, no illusions, no trickery. But the Detroit Red Wings' recent play has been part of a pretty breathtaking magical mystery tour orchestrated by the talents of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

We’ve seen the dazzling play of Datsyuk and Zetterberg together before, when Brett Hull was helping the youngsters break into the NHL in 2003-04 and when Brendan Shanahan was around for support last season. But the days when any team has a three-line juggernaut like the Red Wings had have disappeared.

Poof!!!!

Without Hull, Sergei Fedorov, Shanahan and Steve Yzerman around, it’s not unusual that Red Wings coach Mike Babcock would look to spread the wealth around his lineup and use Datsyuk and Zetterberg on different lines. But wait a minute!

After Zetterberg and Datsyuk were put together for a Dec. 5 game at St. Louis and combined for goals less than two minutes apart just four minutes into a 5-1 rout of the Blues, Babcock set the record straight when he was asked how long he might keep the dynamic duo together.

"It only works for a while, because ..."

Babcock paused and shook his head before he continued, saying, "They both want to play center."

Truth be told, Zetterberg and Datsyuk are like two peas in a pod. Their skills are intertwined, like the thread that pulls the greatest talent in the world together to make such marvelous theater from night to night -- especially in the new-look NHL, where these breathtaking skills can now be seen nearly every shift.

In the Red Wings’ 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators Jan. 17, Zetterberg had two goals and one assist and Datsyuk three assists to put Detroit just two points behind the Predators for first place in the Central Division. But the re-connecting of this dynamic duo is a month-long testament that the Wings can survive just fine without breaking up one of the game’s best tandems.

Since Babcock put Zetterberg and Datsyuk together again on Dec. 14 against Chicago, Zetterberg has had eight goals and 14 assists and Datsyuk seven goals and 16 assists. And in the 18 games that the twosome has been together, the Red Wings have gone 13-4-1.

During that stretch, Babcock added Tomas Holmstrom to the mix to muck and grind havoc in and around the opposing net to the tune of 10 goals and seven assists in his last 14 games. And in their last eight games together, the three some has combined for a mind-boggling 22 goals and 24 assists -- easily the hottest line in the NHL.

"You watch the tapes and see what they’re doing and you still can’t stop them," said Phoenix Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky, who was part of a few pretty successful lines in his Hall of Fame career. "You study the moves and then they do something completely different."

So, Mike Babcock. What has changed since you said you couldn’t keep them together in early-December?

"I told Pav and Henrik to choose which of them would be the center," Babcock said with the wide smile of a mad scientist. "Simple as that."

Truth be told, no one has to designate if the center of attention for the night -- by position that is -- is Datsyuk or Zetterberg. There are frequently no words spoken between Datsyuk and Zetterberg. It's a quiet confidence. A communication beyond words, spiced with skill, instinct and an innate ability to produce something that a coach could only dream of drawing up on a chalkboard.

"Sometimes Pavel will give me a wink or nod his head ... and I usually know what he means," Zetterberg told me.

Sort of like Peyton Manning gesturing at one of his receivers, when he gets up to the line of scrimmage?

Said Zetterberg, "I don't know how to describe it. I guess it's just instincts. I see him make a move and think, ‘Where would I want my linemate to go if I was making the same kind of move he's making?’ "

So, it's more than just coincidence. It's like twins finishing one another's sentences or a great comedy team adlibbing their way through a skit to make it more entertaining.

To think, this incomparable skill is represented by sixth- and seventh-round draft choices 171st and 210th overall in the 1998 and 1999 drafts respectively. Not to mention Holmstrom, who was a 10th-round pick, 257th overall, in the 1994 Entry Draft.

Several scouts interviewed for this column indicated that Datsyuk always showed the great skill, it's just that the glimpses of brilliance were too far apart in his draft year. Like Datsyuk, Zetterberg's size was a point of contention in an NHL where bigger was better during all of those years where teams were able to trap and obstruct the smaller players who weren't equipped to fight through the hands and arms and stick-checks. Datsyuk is now listed at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds and Zetterberg at 6-foot, 190. Before they were drafted, Datsyuk was 5-10, 160 pounds and Zetterberg 5-11, 175 pounds.

"Pavel had loads of talent, but I remember saying to myself, ‘At that size, can he make those breathtaking moves against the big people he'd be facing in the NHL?’ " said Rick Dudley, the former GM in Ottawa, Florida and Tampa Bay, who now scouts for the Chicago Blackhawks. "The long and short answer: Obviously, he can."

There's an elite level that often comes after players with the kind of skills that Datsyuk and Zetterberg have flashed in front of us.

"The thing about elite players is you see what they do and the numbers they put up, but the next sign is the intensity they play with every shift," Gretzky said. "The next time you see them play, just look at the intensity on their faces and in their eyes. That's what impresses me most about Datsyuk and Zetterberg."

The thing about Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg is that they are both talented, imaginative, creative and relentless in their determination to make things happen on the ice.

"I see plays, yes," Datsyuk said, with a big smile. "But not three plays ahead. ... Two, maybe."

"I think we both like to see the challenge of competition at a fast pace," Zetterberg said. "You should see how big Pavel's eyes get when the action gets fierce. Mine probably do, too. Clearly, we both see a lot of the same things on the ice and wonder how we can translate that into making something happen out there."

Wonder? It's precision. No abracadabras. Just a delightful creativity between two very skilled and imaginative players.

 

Zetterberg’s Withdrawal Shows Leadership and Commitment to Wings

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 21, 2007

 

When news broke last week that Detroit Red Wings star forward Henrik Zetterberg had withdrew from participating in his first ever All-Star game, it came as a shock to a lot of fans. Why would anyone, even in this day and age of prima-donna athletes not wanting to take part in practices, exhibitions, or silly circus side-shows for the sake of the fans, NOT want to attend his very first All-Star game? It should be an honor to be recognized as one of the leagues best and to put your skills on display for everyone to see. Why would you not go and give the fans what they deserve?

The reason may be as surprising as Zetterberg’s withdrawal: commitment.

What? How is NOT attending this week’s superstar showcase in Dallas showing commitment? Isn’t it a slap in the face of the selection committee and the fans who want to see him play?

The answer is no. When Zetterberg’s chronic tendonitis of the left wrist, which has bothered him for a few seasons now, flared up again recently, he realized what he had to do, even if it meant turning down an offer to play in what would be his first All-Star game. After talking to the Red Wings medical staff and General Manager Ken Holland, it was obvious that the injury needs some treatment (cortisone shot) and some much needed rest.

Zetterberg could have gone and played in the game. It’s just an exhibition with light contact and little strain. It’s doubtful that playing would have made the wrist get worse. But it certainly would not have made it get any better, and the Red Wings need their leading goal-scorer to stay healthy for the remainder of the season. They knew this was the only opportunity to rest the sore wrist between now and the playoffs.

The star forwards decision to back out of the All-Star Game shows commitment to his team. It shows that he isn’t willing to jeopardize not being able to play for the Red Wings for any regular season games, and especially the playoffs. It demonstrates what his priorities are: winning where it matters, for Detroit, who is six points behind the Nashville Predators for first-place in the Central division.

Despite the injury, which is certainly causing the young Swedish phenom pain (he heavily wraps it for each game); Zetterberg has yet to miss a regular season contest, having played all 49 of the Red Wings games. Playing hurt shows grit. It shows dedication. It’s a quality of strong leadership. It’s the stuff that former Red Wings legendary captain Steve Yzerman was made of. And it reflects greatly upon the character of Henrik Zetterberg and the type of man he is.

The cumbersome bandaging and nagging discomfort seemingly hasn’t affected Hanks ability to control the puck masterfully, to skillfully create offensive chances, or to play defense solidly. Even hurt, Zetterberg is averaging over 20 minutes a game this season, contributing on power-plays and as one of Detroit’s most relied upon penalty killers. As the top center, he takes the majority of the face-offs, back-checks aggressively, and is on the ice in all key situations. He shows no sign of hurting, when he is making magical passes to line mates Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom, and not when he is dekeing and dodging opposing defensemen and depositing pucks in the other team’s net. Even in pain, he remains one of the games best two-way players, and has made a very strong case as a candidate for the Selke Trophy, awarded to the league’s top defensive forward. That is why he deserved to be named to the All-Star Game for the first time in his four-year career, despite not having offensive totals that rank in the NHL’s top 20.

The reason for Henrik’s slight dip in production this year is due to a nine game point-less streak in the beginning of the season. The scoreless skid may be partly attributed to his ailing arm, and may be partly attributed to head coach Mike Babcock’s resistance to put Zetterberg and Datsyuk together on the same line for the first couple months of the campaign.

Zetterberg isn’t one for excuses though, and either way with 19 goals and 21 assists through 49 games so far, he is on pace for 32 goals and 35 assists in 82 games, which will probably increase if he has a better second half of the season after treating his wrist. Barring missing any time or going on another scoring drought, Zetterberg will finish with the second best season totals of his career. Last year, Henrik had 39 goals and 46 assists in 77 games. If he continues his recent pace he could challenge either career high. Zetterberg has 26 points in Detroit’s last 25 games with 11 goals and 15 assists during that stretch. If he duplicates that over the next 25 game stretch he could have 30 goals and 36 assists with eight games remaining. If he gets hot, he could erase the early slump.

It isn’t a question of Zetterberg wanting to play in the All-Star game. There is no doubt he wants to be there for his fans, and for himself. Zetterberg has said it was a surprise and an honor to be selected. It was a matter of doing the right thing, regardless of what people think of high-paid athletes not respecting the wishes of the paying public. By not playing in the All-Star game, Henrik Zetterberg has proved how much of a star he is!

 

Hank Moves into Red Wings Top 50 All-time Scorers with Overtime Game-winner

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, January 30, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg helped spark a third period comeback and overtime win for the Red Wings with an assist and a game-winning goal in overtime against the New York Islanders tonight at Long Island.

After falling behind 3-0 going into the third period, Detroit got a goal on the board 3:24 into the third when Zetterberg assisted on fellow Swede Niklas Kronwall’s first goal of season, on the power-play.  The game went into overtime after Zetterberg’s linemate Tomas Holmstrom tied the game on another power-play goal halfway through the third.

Henrik scored the deciding goal at 2:57 of overtime when he took a cross-crease pass from Niklas Lidstrom and deposited it into an open net behind Islanders goaltender Rick Dipietro. The goal was Zetterberg’s team leading 20^th goal of season, putting him one ahead of Dan Cleary who scored his 19^th in the the third period to make it a 3-2 game.

Zetterberg now has 5 game-winners this season and 22 in his career. He also has at least 20 goals in each of first four seasons in NHL and is only four goals short of 100.

Tonight’s goal and assist were Henrik’s first career points in four games versus the New York Islanders. The Buffalo Sabres are the only remaining NHL team that Zetterberg has no points against.

With his 214^th and 215^th career points tonight, Zetterberg ranks 48^th on the Red Wings all-time scoring list, passing Metro Prystai, Earl Reibel, and Floyd Smith to break into the top 50 scorers in franchise history. There have been 728 forwards and defensemen in Detroit’s 80 NHL seasons.  

 

Henrik Racks Up Four More Points against St. Louis

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, February 2, 2007

 

There’s a lot of talk lately about changing the NHL scheduling format so that teams don’t play eight games a season against each division rival. I think Red Wings star forward Henrik Zetterberg would be opposed to such a change. Henrik resumed his scoring success against the long-time rival St. Louis Blues, with a 3 assist, four point game tonight in Detroit.

After getting no points last week in a game at St. Louis, Zetterberg didn’t take long to get back to his customary dominating of the divisional foes. He scored the opening goal of the game just 33 seconds into the first period. On his first shift, Henrik skated in on former Red Wing’s goalie Manny Legace and top-shelfed a sweet backhanded shot, glove side on the Blue’s net-minder. The goal was his fastest goal from the start of game in his four season career. Detroit’s fastest goal ever from the beginning of a contest was by the legendary Gordie Howe just 9 seconds into a game against Toronto on April 1, 1954.  

Zetterberg later got assists on two Tomas Holmstrom goals, each giving the Red Wings a one-goal lead. He then unselfishly added a third assist on the clinching empty-net goal by Dan Cleary, making the game 5-3 with just 28 seconds remaining in the third period. Henrik could have easily shot the puck into the empty net himself, but dished it to Cleary instead, giving him his career high 20^th goal of the season, just one behind Zetterberg for the team lead.

Zetterberg now has 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 total points in 23 career games against the Blues. He was a +1 (plus/minus) tonight and is +18 overall versus St. Louis.  

 

Holmstrom, Zetterberg lead Wings past Blues

By George Sipple, Free Press, February 3, 2007

 

…Henrik Zetterberg (goal, three assists), Tomas Holmstrom (two goals, assist) and Lidstrom (three assists) each extended point streaks to three games to lead the Wings (33-14-6).

Zetterberg gave the Wings a lead 33 seconds in with his team-leading 21st goal. Markov kept the puck in the zone and passed to Holmstrom, who gave the puck to Zetterberg.

Zetterberg skated in close (off the left-wing boards) and fired a high backhand over Manny Legace's left shoulder.

Asked why he passed up a chance to score and instead assist on Cleary's (empty net) goal, Zetterberg said: "I saw Clears was on the right wing and knew he had 19 goals. It's always fun to reach 20, and he got an opportunity to do it there."

 

Zetterberg Nets Winner in Shanahan Reunion

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, February 5, 2007

 

The game was shaping up to be a memorable one for Brendan Shanahan and his New York Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden. It ended up being one he’d probably rather forget. It was his first game facing Detroit after signing with the Rangers this past off-season, having turned down an offer from the Red Wings, for which he had played the past nine seasons. Shanahan said before the opening face-off that this game meant more than others, seeing some of the guys he had played with for several years. You knew he was gonna come out excited and looking to make something happen, which is what he did. Shanahan fired a quick shot past Wings goalie Dominik Hasek just 2:18 into the game.

Fueled by Shanny’s 27^th of the season, the Rangers added a 2^nd goal just 13 seconds later, and Detroit looked to be in trouble. However, Henrik Zetterberg was looking to make the evening a memorable reunion of his own, with Swedish Olympic teammate and New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist guided the Swede’s to Olympic Gold in 2006 with help from Red Wings Zetterberg, Niklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, Mikeal Samuelsson, Johan Franzen, and Niklas Kronwall.

Zetterberg seemed determined to spark a Red Wing’s comeback, as he weaved through the neutral zone, deked a Rangers defender, and fired a wrister towards the net that defelected off the stick of linemate Pavel Datsyuk, making the game 2-1 Rangers at 7:24 of the opening period. New York scored in the second period and took a 3-1 lead into the third.

After the Wings battled back and tied the game 3-3 on a goal by Robert Lang with 9:06 left in regulation, the stage was indeed set for a fantastic finish.

That’s when, on the power-play, Zetterberg took a pass in the right face-off circle, from Datsyuk, and quickly zipped a wrister through Lundqvist’s five whole, giving Detroit the go-ahead goal at 12:36 of the third period. Zetterberg’s team-leading 22^nd tally of the season ended up being the game-winner as the Red Wings held on to win versus Shanahan and the Rangers.     

 

Z’s 100^th Career Goal Lifts Wings over Coyotes

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, February 7, 2007

 

It was a big night for Skillful forward Henrik Zetterberg, who scored two go-ahead goals, including his game-winning 100^th career goal, and picked up an assist in the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes tonight at the Joe Louis Arena. The win was Detroit’s 11^th straight at home and moves them within a point of the division leading Nashville Predators.

Zetterberg’s first goal came on an unbelievable play at 16:27 of the second period when, skating in the Coyote’s zone 1-on-1 against defenseman Derek Morris, Henrik looked like he was going to cut in front of net and then he quickly dipped behind it. Then, he came around from the far-side, displaying tremendous patience, and lifted a beautiful back-hander over top of outstretched former Red Wings goalie Curtis Joseph, giving Detroit a 2-1 lead.

Henrik’s second tally came just 3:22 into the third period when he took a high shot from the top of right face-off circle that deflected off of a Coyote’s forward Fredrik Sjostrom before it ended up in Phoenix’s net. It was the game-winner, putting the Wings up 3-2. He added an assist on Pavel Datsyuk’s empty-netter late in the match.

The goals are Zetterberg’s team-leading 23^rd and 24^th of the season. His second goal was a milestone, the 100^th of his career. Henrik got his 224^th career point on his assist, passing Petr Klima on the Red Wings All-time scoring list, placing him 45^th.

Zetterberg now has six goals against “Cujo” in the past two seasons since Joseph signed with the Coyotes. That’s the most he has scored against any opposing net-minder in his career.

With tonight’s points Henrik is on fire, scoring at least one goal in four straight games and he has twelve points in the past five games.

After the game, Phoenix’s coach, the legendary Wayne Gretzky, had high praise for Zetterberg.

“He doesn't get enough credit for being the elite player that he is. He's definitely in that group of players,” said Gretzky.

"Unfortunately for us, we have to face him too many times."

 

Zetterberg Continues Torrid Pace as Wings Win

By Paul Harris, Mlive.com, February 8, 2007

 

Four trends continued for the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.

They won their 11th consecutive home game, they again gave up the first goal, they got the winning goal in the third period, and it was scored by Henrik Zetterberg, who had another big game.

Yes, the 4-2 win against the Phoenix Coyotes went according to the Wings' recent successful script. And Zetterberg was definitely the star.

He had two goals and an assist to continue his hot streak. He now has 13 goals in his last 11 games, and has a point in his last 13 home games.

Zetterberg was praised by Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky.

"He's a pretty special player," said Gretzky, who certainly knows about that subject.

"Guys like (Alex) Ovechkin and (Sidney) Crosby are probably the best players in the game. But this guy right here is one of the elite players, and he doesn't get enough credit for being an elite player."

Zetterberg's third game-winning goal in his last four games (all in the third period or later) was a product of luck. His wrist shot from the point deflected in off the stick of the Coyotes' Fredrik Sjostrom. It broke a 2-2 tie 3:22 into the third period.

It was the 100th goal of Zetterberg's career.

But his first goal, which gave the Wings a 2-1 lead with 3:33 left in the second period, was a highlight-reel effort.

He broke in off the left wing and went around the net. Former Red Wing goaltender Curtis Joseph, who was kneeling against the near post as Zetterberg cut in, then dove in an attempt to poke check Zetterberg as he came from behind the other side of the net.

But Zetterberg pulled the puck back, took a couple more strides, and calmly put a backhand shot high into the net.

"I came in one-on-one, I didn't have much of a shot, so I went around the net," said Zetterberg. "He tried to poke check the puck, but I saw that coming and put it into the empty net."

Pavel Datsyuk scored for the Wings with less than a minute left in the game (Zetterberg assisted). Joseph was out of the net, but he hadn't gotten off the ice yet, so it wasn't officially an empty-net goal.

 

Henrik's 100th a Winner

By Helene St. James, Free Press, February 8, 2007

 

Game by game, Henrik Zetterberg keeps racking up the points.

Wednesday night at Joe Louis Arena, he scored twice to lead the Red Wings past the Phoenix Coyotes, 4-2, securing Detroit's fifth straight victory. During the streak, Zetterberg has 12 points.

"You can tell he's playing with confidence," captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "He's playing with lots of poise, he's hanging onto the puck, and things are going his way. That helps us tremendously, especially because he can play in all situations."

Zetterberg has 100 NHL goals in 272 games. He also helped kill a late 4-on-3 Phoenix advantage, showing his excellence at two-way play and drawing comparisons to young stars like Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

"Obviously, when you look at the great players in the game there's Ovechkin and Crosby -- he's probably the best player in the league right now," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "But, this guy is right up there with them and probably doesn't get the credit for being the outstanding elite player that he is. He shows up and plays hard night after night."

Zetterberg played 22:40, second among skaters to Lidstrom's 26:47."It's fun when everything works, and you just have to enjoy that and keep working," Zetterberg said.

Former Wings goalie Curtis Joseph, who had given up one goal in his previous two games, saw his shutout streak end after 124 minutes and 39 seconds when Lang powered up the right boards and tipped in Brett Lebda's pass at 4:51 of the second period.

Then Zetterberg took over. With about four minutes left in the second period, he whipped a shot from just outside the paint that landed in Joseph's pads. Seconds later, he picked up the puck deep in Phoenix's zone, rushed up the right flank, rushed behind the net, waited for Joseph to commit, and then flipped a backhand top-shelf.

"Cujo tried to poke-check but I saw that coming, so when he did that, it was an open net," Zetterberg said.

“Hank has the skills of the good players in the league, but he works harder. ... He brings it every night," coach Mike Babcock said.

 

Zetterberg puts on show for Great One

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News, February 8, 2007

 

One of the first of what likely will be many milestones in Henrik Zetterberg's career won a game for the Red Wings on Wednesday night.

Zetterberg's 100th career goal, and second of the game, broke a third-period tie and led the Wings to a 4-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Zetterberg's shot from the left circle at 3:22, his 24th of the season, went off Coyotes forward Fredrik Sjostrom and through goalie Curtis Joseph.

"Really, I didn't know that," said Zetterberg, when told the goal was No. 100 of his career. "I hope I can score a few more. It's always good when you get one."

In a season in which he's had many strong games, Zetterberg particularly was good against the Coyotes.

"Hank has the skills of the good players in this league, but he works harder," coach Mike Babcock said. "So you add all of that together, and that's why you're successful. He brings it every night."

Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky, who knows a thing or two about winning hockey, also is impressed with Zetterberg.

"He's probably the most underrated player in the league," Gretzky said.

On his first goal, Zetterberg took a pass from Danny Markov, wheeled past defenseman Derek Morris and around the Coyotes' net, then put a backhander past Joseph, a former Wing.

"It's fun when a play like that works," Zetterberg said. "There was nothing to shoot at, so I just went around the net."

Robert Lang and Pavel Datsyuk (empty net) also scored for the Wings. Zetterberg added an assist on Datsyuk's goal with one minute left in the game.

 

'Underrated' Zetterberg Gets it Done

Bob McManaman, The Arizona Republic, February 8, 2007

The "most underrated player in the NHL" has the Coyotes' full attention.
That's the moniker coach Wayne Gretzky draped around Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg's neck like a gold medal before Wednesday's game at Joe Louis Arena, and the Swedish-born Zetterberg lived up to the praise.
He scored two goals, including the go-ahead marker at 3:22 of the third period, and added an assist in helping the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over Gretzky's Coyotes.
The second goal, Zetterberg's team-leading 24th of the season, was also the 100th of his young but impressive career.
"Really? I didn't know that," Zetterberg said. "I hope I can score a few more. It's always good when you get one."
Zetterberg's first of the night was a thing of beauty. He beat defenseman Derek Morris around the back end of the Coyotes' goal, then scored at 16:27 of the second period when he flipped the puck over a sprawling Curtis Joseph.
"Hank has the skills of the good players in this league, but he works harder," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "So you add all that together, and that's why you're successful. He brings it every night. He has the work ethic, and you have a lot of will there."

Babcock Promotes Zetterberg for Selke Trophy

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, February 9, 2007

 

Detroit Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg has been piling up the points lately, while garnering a heap of praise from the likes of Wayne Gretzky.

But, Wings coach Mike Babcock hopes Zetterberg’s defensive ability isn’t overlooked, particularly when it comes time for voters to cast their ballots for the Selke Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best defensive forward.

Babcock believes Zetterberg should be the hands-down winner.

 “Who’s better?” Babcock said. “He’s the best. He’s beyond smart. He’s a great penalty-killer, real strong in the face-off circle, real good defensively, real good offensively. I sure think (he should win it).”

Many felt Zetterberg should have received Selke consideration last season, but he wasn’t even a finalist. Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour won the award.

Zetterberg has eight goals and 16 assists in his last 15 games -- his five-game points streak was snapped in Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the Blues. He might not equal last season’s totals (39 goals, 85 points), but Babcock believes he is having a better season.

“He’s a better player, more confident, more dynamic,” Babcock said. “You look at a guy like Joe Sakic or Steve Yzerman; they had all the skill in the world, but they had will and they drove the team. That’s what the great players do and that’s what (Zetterberg) does for us. Last year was the start of (Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk) taking over the team and now that just continues.”

 

Henrik Burns the Flames

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, February 11, 2007

 

If the Red Wings hadn’t gotten a five point lead going into the third period, Henrik Zetterberg may have had a chance for his first career hat trick in tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames at Joe Louis Arena. However, Detroit’s head coach Mike Babcock chose to play their top line of Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom, and Zetterberg just three minutes in the last period, to avoid giving the impression that he was “showing up” the opponent by adding to the 6-1 score. The line had already accounted for four of the Red Wings goals, led by Zetterberg’s two goals and two assists.

Henrik scored the opening goal of the game at 8:43 in the first period, his team leading 25th of the season, when Flames goalie Mikka Kiprusoff misplayed a dump-around behind his net, which was picked up by Wings forward Jason Williams, and sent to Zetterberg streaking into the slot. He fired the puck past Kiprusoff, stick-side just inside the far post, as the goal-tender scrambled to get back in the crease. Zetterberg assisted on linemate Datsyuk’s goal just four minutes later, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead.

Henrik’s 2nd goal of the game, came 3:16 into the second period and made it a 4-0 game. Again rushing into the slot, Zetterberg slapped in a rebound of Mathieu Schneider’s close range shot off the pads of Calgary’s back-up net-minder Jamie McLennan.

Later Zetterberg helped screen McLennan and picked up an assist when Holmstrom tipped in Niklas Lidstrom’s slap-shot from the blue line. The tally made it 6-1 Detroit with over nine minutes remaining in the middle period. The line’s playing time was limited after that, giving the other three lines more playing time. With Detroit’s best unit on the bench, the Flames scored three straight goals in the third. The Wings gave rookie goalie Joey McDonald his first NHL win in six tries, by a score of 7-4.

Henrik has 16 points and is a +8 (plus/minus) in the past seven games. He is fifth in the NHL in plus/minus and with 26 goals and 30 assists has to be strongly considered as a top contender for the Selke Trophy (best defensive forward) at his point.

 

Wings 7 Flames 4

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, February 11, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg turned in another dominant performance with two goals and two assists. He has six games this season with three or more points, tied for the league-high.

Zetterberg paid a price for his dominance, taking a hard cross-check in the back and later losing one tooth and getting a couple of others chipped from a high stick. He doesn't believe teams are taking liberties against him, however.

"I don't think it's been any big difference from before,'' Zetterberg said. "But, of course, when games get away like this, there's a chance they can play real physical.''

Zetterberg can handle anything anyone dishes out, Babcock said.

"He's obviously a top-end player in the league and like the great players in the league he's got that little extra, that work ethic, that drive, he pushes himself and he pushes our team,'' Babcock said. "I thought him, Pav and Homer were fantastic tonight.''

 

Zetterberg, Havlat and Smith named NHL's 'Three Stars'

NHL.com, February 12, 2007

 

Detroit Red Wing left wing Henrik Zetterberg, Chicago Blackhawks right wing Martin Havlat and Dallas Stars goaltender Mike Smith have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending Feb. 11.

FIRST STAR -- HENRIK ZETTERBERG, LW, DETROIT RED WINGS

Zetterberg led all scorers for the week with nine points (five goals, four assists) in four games as the Red Wings (36-15-6, 78 points) went 3-1-0 and moved within one point of the Central Division-leading Nashville Predators. He scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in a 4-3 comeback victory over the New York Rangers Feb. 5, tallied two goals, including the game-winner, and one assist in a 4-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes Feb.7 and matched a season high with four points (two goals, two assists) in a 7-4 victory over the Calgary Flames Feb. 11. Zetterberg leads the Red Wings in scoring with 56 points (26 goals, 30 assists) in 57 games and ranks second on the club and fifth in the NHL

 

We Should Know Better: February Wins are No Big Deal

By Michael Rosenberg, Free Press, February 12, 2007

 

Sunday evening, Henrik Zetterberg had what I like to call the Real Man's Double Hat Trick: two goals, two assists, two chipped teeth. Zetterberg admitted afterward that "one of them was just a fake," and I thought he was being humble, but he was actually referring to the teeth.

Zetterberg's Wings have won 12 straight home games, two short of the franchise record. But Detroit can't get too excited yet.

Until Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk lead the Wings on an extended playoff run, Detroiters will view them like lions at the zoo. They are admired, but hard to embrace.

Is this fair? Not remotely. But this is the price the Wings pay for all that winning.

As good as Zetterberg is (and he was terrific Sunday), he has never made it past the second round. Again, this isn't such a big deal. He is only 26. But Zetterberg has not created many indelible memories yet.

 

Another Three Point Game for Zetterberg

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, February 14, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg had his NHL best seventh game with three or more points tonight on the road against the Dallas Stars and now has twenty points (eight goals and twelve assists) in his last nine games. The Detroit Red Wings, led by the talented Swedish forward, came back from a one-goal deficit in the second half of the third period to defeat the Stars 3-1.

Detroit tied the game at 11:14 of the third when Zetterberg set up Pavel Datsyuk for his 18^th goal of the season with what was quite possibly Henrik’s most brilliant pass ever. Skating along the end boards behind Dallas’ goal, Zetterberg passed the puck between his own legs and between the legs of Star’s defenseman Darryl Sydor to Datsyuk streaking in towards the right side of the crease. Pavel knocked the puck in behind Dallas’ rookie goaltender Mike Smith, as he went to his far post to defend Zetterberg coming around the net. 

Then, with just 4:36 left in the game, Henrik scored his eigth game-winning goal of the season, taking a centering pass from countryman Niklas Kronwall, faking a slapshot which drew two defenders to the ice to attempt a block, and firing a wrister from between the face-off circles and past Smith. The goal was his team-leading 27^th of the season.

Zetterberg added a second assist when defenseman Mathieu Schneider scored an empty-netter with 33 seconds remaining, clinching the come-from-behind victory for the Wings.  

With his recent hot streak, Zetterberg has gotten back on his point-per-game pace, and at the current rate could match or surpass his career season highs in goals (39), assists (46), points (85), and plus/minus (+29) all from last season.

In tonight’s match, Henrik notched his 230^th, 231^st, and 232^nd career points, passing Martin Lapointe and Keith Primeau on Detroit’s All-Time Scoring List.

 

New Award

By “Razor”, http://blog.dallasstars.com, February 15^th, 2007

 

Watching Henrik Zetterberg play with his food en route to a 3 point night in the Wings come from behind 3-1 victory over our Stars, I got to thinking -- this guy deserves an award.

But what award?... Best Player on the Ice Night after Night?

You see there really isn’t an NHL trophy for a guy like Zetterberg. He could be nominated for the Selke, but is the team’s leading scorer the best defensive forward? Some coaches will argue that is exactly what he is. He has the puck all the time and when you have the pill the other team can’t score. Voila! Selke. (Not really the spirit and intent of the award, is it) The Hart (MVP) is close, but… And the others are all stat-driven.

Therefore, I think the NHL as a league should seriously think about adding two end of the year awards.

One for the “Best Player in the League”. Name it the Gordie Howe. True, the NHLPA has an award that closely mirrors this ideal (The Lester Pearson) but it’s a Players Association trophy not an official NHL Award.

Trophy or no trophy, this Zetterberg guy is one you need in your pool and want on your team.

 

Zetterberg in Spotlight, Detroit Forward Gains Recognition as one of Top Players in NHL

By Dave Waddell, Windsor Star, February 16, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg is getting exposed.

After quietly toiling in the shadows of Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan and Nicklas Lidstrom in his first four seasons, the 26-year-old Swede's spectacular play is making him a regular feature on the highlights each night.

More importantly from a player's perspective, Zetterberg is piling up the accolades of his peers in the NHL.

"He just shows up and works hard every night," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "He plays unselfishly.

"He's a pretty special player. Guys like (Alexander) Ovechkin and (Sidney) Crosby, who is probably the best player in the game today, and Joe Thornton's a pretty good player, but this guy right here is one of the elite players and he probably doesn't get enough credit for being an elite player. He's definitely in that category of players.

"Unfortunately, we get to see him too often."

After going nine games without a point early in the season, Zetterberg has been on an absolute tear since being reunited on a line with Pavel Datsyuk in late November.

Zetterberg, who was named the NHL's top player this past week, has picked up 10 goals and 31 points in the past 16 games to bring his season's total to 27 goals and 60 points.

Heading into Saturday's game in Phoenix, Zetterberg is tied for second in the NHL with eight game-winning goals and leads the league with seven games with three or more points.

SHARP ON DEFENCE

He also ranks among the NHL's best defensive players.

Zetterberg, who is one Detroit's best penalty killers, ranks fifth in the league with a plus 25.

"Hank has the skills of the good players in the league, but he works harder," Wings coach Mike Babcock said.

"You add it together and that's why he's successful because he brings it every night. I think with the work ethic of a Zetterberg, we have a lot of will there down the middle and that's important."

Wings goalie Dominik Hasek says Zetterberg is even more effective when he plays on a line with his close friend Datsyuk.

"My job is to stop the puck, but I have to admit it's fun watching from the other end," Hasek said.

"They were just kids when I first got here (in 2001), but Hank and Pavel are now two of the most skilled players in the league. For a goalie, it's very hard because you just don't know what they'll do."

While Datsyuk has yet to establish himself in the playoffs, Zetterberg scored six goals in six games against the Oilers in the opening round last year.

"I don't think I've proved anything in the playoffs yet," Zetterberg said. "You have to win.

"That's why we are here. I still have a very important piece to fill."

 

HAT TRICK!

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, February 17, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg is on a hot streak! Tonight, in the desert, he was on fire, bagging his first career hat trick and adding an assist for the Detroit Red Wings in their 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. The hat trick came on three consecutive power-play goals.

Zetterberg’s first power-play goal of the game gave the Wings a 1-0 lead half-way through the second period. Mathieu Schneider made a nice back-handed pass from near the blue line to Zetterberg, who fired a wrist shot from the center of the right face-off circle and past Phoenix’s Swedish goalie Michael Tellqvist, who was screened by fellow Swede Tomas Holmstrom.

Seven minutes and thirty-one seconds later Zata got what appeared to be his second goal, making it a 2-0 game. Schneider took a slap shot from the point and Zetterberg jammed the rebound under Tellqvist. The official motioned no goal and play continued for another minute. However, after reviewing the play it was determined that the puck had crossed the line, and the goal counted. The goal ended up being the game-winner.

Henrik scored his third consecutive goal of the game, again on the power-play at 15:36 of the third period. Pavel Datsyuk set up the play, cutting into the slot and dishing the puck to Hank who was streaking in towards the crease from the right face-off circle. He knocked it in for his team-leading 30^th goal of the season and first career hat trick.  

Zetterberg got his helper on Jason Williams empty-net goal with just eleven seconds left in the game, making it his third four-point game of the season. Henrik has been on an amazing run lately, scoring or assisting on all eight of the Red Wings goals during the three-game road trip. He has 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in the past 10 games, putting him on pace for a career-high 41 goals and 46 assists this season.

 

Zetterberg Scores All Three Goals on Power Plays in Win

Associated Press, ESPN.com, February 17, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg believes he benefited by being in the right place at the right time.

Zetterberg had his first career hat trick, part of a four-point night, to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night.

Zetterberg's goals all came on power plays as the 26-year-old reached 30 goals for the second straight season and helped the Red Wings sweep the four-game season series with the Coyotes.

Zetterberg also had an assist on Jason Williams' empty-netter in the final minute.

"I don't think I played a great game," Zetterberg said. "The puck just bounced my way. I really can't remember how I scored the first goal and the second one did cross the goal line. I know the referee looked at that one."

Zetterberg's second goal, which was under review, came when he knocked in a goal-mouth scramble and began to raise his stick to celebrate. However, referee Brad Watson immediately waived off the apparent goal and play continued. At the next stoppage of play, Watson conferred with Ian Walsh, the second referee on the ice, and after a lengthy review, Zetterberg was credited with the goal at 18:01.

Zetterberg scored twice in the second period and completed the hat trick on a slap shot at 15:36 of the third.

The Red Wings broke a scoreless tie midway through the second. With the Coyotes' Derrick Morris off for hooking, Zetterberg took a behind-the-back pass from Mathieu Schneider and drilled a slap shot in at 10:30 while Tomas Holmstrom was screening goalie Tellqvist in front.

Zetterberg's three goals came on six shots.

Entering Saturday, Zetterberg had scored 66 goals over the past two seasons, which was the most by any player who hadn't scored at least three in a game over that span.

 

TRIPLE PLAY: Zetterberg's First Career Hat Trick Carries Wings

By Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News, February 18, 2007

 

Even with Forsberg making his Predators debut Saturday, Nashville lost at home to Minnesota 4-1. The Wings, on the other hand, behind a hat trick from Henrik Zetterberg, defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1.

The Wings now lead the Predators 82-81 in points, and with the victory Saturday (and Nashville loss) are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and lead the Central Division.

Who needs Forsberg (at least for one evening)?

“Oh yeah,” said Zetterberg, when told of passing Nashville in the standings. “There’s still a long way to go, and we have to play them five times. That’ll decide the division. It doesn’t matter if you’re in first place right now.”

Zetterberg’s first career hat trick gave him 30 goals for the season.

“We had some ugly goals today,” Zetterberg said. “But it’s nice when the puck goes into the net.”

Jason Williams added an empty-net goal (after flubbing on one a few seconds earlier) to close out the scoring. Zetterberg assisted on Williams’ goal, as did Pavel Datsyuk, who assisted on all four goals.

 

Zetterberg's 1st Hat Trick Gives Wings 1st Place

By George Sipple, Free Press, February 18, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg scored three power play goals to earn his first career NHL hat trick and he and linemate Pavel Datsyuk finished with four-point nights to lead the Wings to a, 4-1, victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night at jobing.com Arena.

The Wings (38-16-6) also regained sole possession of first place in the Central Division because the Nashville Predators lost to the Minnesota Wild, 4-1, on Saturday night.

…Zetterberg scored his third power play goal. He later assisted on Jason Williams' empty net goal with 11 seconds left.

"It was about time," Zetterberg said of his first hat trick. "I had a few chances in the past. The puck went in today. So it was fun."

Zetterberg continued his blistering pace since the All-Star break. He has 10 goals and 12 assists in the past 10 games.

Said (Ken) Holland: "There's no doubt in my mind he should win the Selke" Trophy for the NHL's best defensive forward.

 

 

Wings Flourish behind Zetterberg's Line

By Bruce MacLeod, Macomb Daily Sports Writer, February 19, 2007

 

It has to be one of the best pick-up lines ever thought of by men.

Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom.

It's a line that has picked up the Detroit Red Wings' offense when it most needed to be picked up.

While the other three lines have been stagnant, Zetterberg's line has produced goals in bushels. And because of that, the Red Wings moved into first place in the Central Division and into the No. 1 seed in the Western conference.

"They're playing good," said Detroit coach Mike Babcock. "They've got some spunk in them for sure. But in saying that, the (Robert) Lang line played phenomenal in Dallas. We need everybody. We don't just need one line, we need everyone."

The Red Wings, however, have been getting by with a one-line attack. Saturday's 4-1 victory in Phoenix was the latest example with Zetterberg netting three goals and he and Datsyuk setting up Jason Williams for an empty-netter. (Williams was at the end of a long shift.)

The Zetterberg line (or the majority of it) has been on the ice for the last eight Detroit goals -- a span of three games. Of Detroit's last 35 goals (a 10-game span), the Zetterberg line has been on the ice for 25.

"It doesn't happen every game, but we try," said Datsyuk. "Everybody chatters. Try to shoot it because we pass too much. Everybody tries to shoot it and after that we have a little space. Everybody does something different."

Datsyuk is the master of puck possession, dangling the puck around the perimeter of the offensive zone, slipping it between defenders' legs and pulling it back. Zetterberg has become a prolific goal-scorer, leading the team with 30, thanks in large part to his Rocket Richard-like directness and explosiveness. Holmstrom is the net-front anchor, resurrecting his Demolition Man nickname with the havoc he creates right at goaltenders' feet.

The trio was first united this season on Dec. 18. Except for a three-game span which Datsyuk was unable to play, they've been together ever since.

The results have been somewhat surprising.

Moving Datsyuk off center and onto Zetterberg's left wing has cemented the Red Wings in a ranked system of four lines for the first time in a long time. Zetterberg's line is dominant.

Now, opponents have a clear target for their top defense tandem, their shut-down bangers on the blue line. Instead of having to choose between Zetterberg's line or Datsyuk's line, opponents knee-jerk to putting their best defensemen against a top line that includes both Zetterberg and Datsyuk.

Surprisingly, however, the Red Wings have flourished.

Since uniting the Zetterberg line, all three forwards have been much more productive. At the same time, the rest of the team has been producing goals at the same rate and opponents have been held in check at the same rate.

In the 26 games with the Zetterberg line together, the Red Wings scored an average of 3.5 goals per game and allowed 2.4 goals per game. In the 34 games without that line intact, the Red Wings scored an average of 2.7 goals per game and allowed 2.4 goals per game.

The effect has been obvious in the standings. With the Zetterberg line, Detroit is 18-6-2 and without the record is 20-10-4.

A line can be drawn directly between the Zetterberg line and the increase in offense. Zetterberg, Holmstrom and Datsyuk score 1.6 goals per game together and 0.8 goals per game when not together.

The rest of the team scores 1.9 goals per game with that unit intact and 2.0 goals per game without it.

 

INJURY UPDATE: Zetterberg also has a weak wrist, but he said that resting over the all-star break instead of playing in the game helped. "I think I made the right choice to take those days off and rest the body," said Zetterberg. "Everything feels really good."

 

Since Break, Zetterberg's on Tear: 11 Goals, 10 Games

By George Sipple, Free Press, February 19, 2007

 

The proof is in the points as far as Henrik Zetterberg is concerned.

Zetterberg has been on a tear since the All-Star break -- make that since he decided to skip the All-Star Game to rest a wrist that has given him problems in the past.

"I think I made the right choice to take those days off and rest and recoup the body," Zetterberg said. "Ever since then, I've felt really good."

And how is the wrist?

"It's better and better," Zetterberg said. "I would say I did the right choice." On Saturday night, Zetterberg scored three power-play goals to net his first career hat trick.

He chipped in an assist on Jason Williams' empty-net goal and the Wings won, 4-1, over the Coyotes.

He has scored 11 goals and 13 assists in the past 10 games, an average of 2.4 points a game.

"He's been playing great for us the last few weeks," said captain Nicklas Lidstrom. "It's nice to see him finally get that hat trick. He's been playing unbelievable, just really carrying our team I think in the last two games."

 

Zetterberg, Selanne, and Sakic named NHL's 'Three Stars’

NHL.com, February 19, 2007

 

Detroit Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg, Anaheim Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne and Colorado Avalanche center Joe Sakic have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending Feb. 18.

FIRST STAR -- HENRIK ZETTERBERG, LW, DETROIT RED WINGS
Zetterberg tied for the League lead with eight points (four goals, four assists) in three games as the Red Wings (38-16-6, 82 points) moved into first place in the Central Division and Western Conference. Zetterberg had a hand in all eight Red Wings goals, starting with an assist in a 6-1 loss to Philadelphia, Feb. 12. In Dallas, on Feb. 14, he scored the game-winning goal and added two assists in a 3-1 victory over the Stars. He tallied three goals, including the game-winner, and one assist in a 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes, Feb. 17. Zetterberg leads the Red Wings in scoring with 64 points (30 goals, 34 assists) in 60 games and ranks second on the club and tied for fifth in the NHL with a plus-minus rating of +25.

 

Zetterberg Conference Call Transcript

Mlive.com (from NHLMedia.com), February 20, 2007

 

Yesterday Henrik was named First Star of the week for the second consecutive week. He's been on a bit of tear since the All Star break and is the leading scorer in the month of February recording 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points in eight games, included in that are four game-winning goals. He's five points ahead of Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who has 16 points in the month of February.

This past Saturday he recorded his first career hat trick in the Red Wings 4-1 win in Phoenix. He currently leads Detroit in scoring with 64 points on 30 goals, 34 assists. With 22 games left in the schedule this season he is on track to match career highs of 39 goals, 46 assists and 85 points marks that he set last season.

The Red Wings are in a battle for first in the Central Division and Western Conference with the Nashville Predators who are one point ahead while the Red Wings have one game in hand. Detroit hosts Chicago tomorrow, Edmonton Friday, before traveling to Nashville where they'll meet the Predators on Saturday night.

Question: Can you just talk a little bit about the line you're on with Datsyuk and Holmstrom and why you guys work so well together?

Henrik Zetterberg: Well, I think me and Pavel have played together for a few years now on and off. And ever since coach put us together again we're playing good. And Holmstrom has just come in here, too, and just been tremendous for us. I think he deserves more credit for the things he does for us. He creates a lot of room and he gives us a lot of time to do things.

Question: He obviously is one of the best of setting up in front of the goal keeper. Can you talk about the advantage that is for you as a sharp shooter to have that big screen in front?

Henrik Zetterberg: Yes, most of the time when I shoot, Holmstrom is in front and the goalie doesn't see anything. Especially when I don't have the best shot in the league, it's easy for me to score some goals.

Question: I wanted to follow that up to ask you about Holmstrom's ability to tip pucks. Do you ever catch yourself watching him, because he seems to do it so well setting up in front there, but how much do you respect the guy that does that night in and night out?

Henrik Zetterberg: He does a real good job for us. It is not easy to stand in front of the goalie and he takes a lot of beating in front but also he's great on tipping pucks. There is a lot of practice behind that. He's staying after practice to practice just on that, too. But I think he's the best in the league on that.

Question: Just to switch gears a little bit. How often do the Nashville Predators come up in your locker room? They're really chasing you guys and are making a pretty good run for the division here. But how much do you guys talk about them and what they're doing in your own locker room?

Henrik Zetterberg: Actually, I think that we are the ones chasing them this year, and they have been playing really good, I think they won last night, so they're one point ahead of us. So it's just a great battle between us and we're going to play them five more times here. And I think that's going to decide who is going to be first or second. Because both us and them are going to win games and lose games. But when we play against each other, it's going to decide the first and second spot.

Question: What's it like for them to go from an expansion team for the rivalry to get where it is right now? You've watched it over the years, used to be the team that you beat up on a little bit. But it's a little bit interesting how they've really turned it around in Nashville?

Henrik Zetterberg: Yes, they made some real good moves on free agency and also with the draft picks. And it takes a few years to develop a good team and they have been doing it for a couple of years now. Now they're one of the best teams in the league.

Question: [in Swedish]

Henrik Zetterberg: He just asked if I could talk about how good it went in the last month. And I just said I think, overall, for a line we've been playing good and everything, also the break, when I took a couple days off, I feel better and the puck has been going in for us.

Question: Maybe a little bit back to Nashville, and probably you've been asked this already. The addition of Peter Forsberg to the Predators, does that shift the balance of power out here in the West, what's your thought about the Predators adding him to their lineup?

Henrik Zetterberg: Of course it's going to have a new dimension. It's going to have, they already had a good team before. They've got Peter. And now he's, of course, he's a real threat for them. Especially in the power play and 5 and 3 and stuff like that. He's one of the best players in the world.

So whenever you get a player like that for coming in and play 20 games and play the playoffs, it's going to help them a lot.

Question: And your team obviously, I mean two years ago you lost their three -- you lost to Calgary in the playoffs, last year first round you lost to Edmonton. I don't want to say any more pressure, but are the playoffs any more in your mind maybe feeling the team has to do more in the playoffs?

Henrik Zetterberg: Of course no one is happy how the way the season's been ending here for a few years now. And we just have to be really sharp when playoffs are coming up and we know it's a lot more even over all the teams now, who the first spot and the eight spot is not that big of a difference team-wise, and we just have to be ready when the first run starts and give it our all.

Question: [in Swedish]

Henrik Zetterberg: Well, he asked if the wrist was really bothering me before the break, and of course it did. But basically I learned to play with it. But when we saw the break coming up and we saw the five days that I was able to rest, it was a tough decision to make. But when you think back, I think it was the right choice to take those days and really heal the body and be ready for the end of season.

Question: I work in Vancouver, a hometown question here. But there's some talk that Roberto Luongo, the Canuck goalie, should be in consideration for the Heart Trophy. I know you don't see them as often as other teams, but what has Luongo brought to Vancouver, do you think?

Henrik Zetterberg: I think it's brought a lot of safety for them. He's a real solid goaltender, and if they score basically two or three goals they're going to get at least one point.

So of course he helps them a lot and the games I've been seeing it's just so solid back there and just brings a lot of points for the team.

 

Babcock talks Zetterberg with WDFN

Mlive.com, (from WDFN, February 19, 2007)

 

WDFN Greg Brady: Henrik Zetterberg, coach, 24 points in his last 10 games, if he hasn't been the best player in hockey, he's been awfully close. Has this been about as dialed in as you've seen him, either as his coach, or coaching on the other side of the country with Anaheim?

Mike Babcock: Ah, no, he's way better now than when I coached against him. I mean, last year he had a career year, was the best he's ever been, and he's been better this year, and...he got off to a slow start points-wise; he never got off to a Brady: Quality move for your team, coach, slow start playing-wise. He played great, in my opinion, right from the get-go, and he's just got better and better, and he's earned the right to be confident. He thinks, and he wouldn't tell you that, but he thinks that he's one of the best players in the league, and he is.

 

Zetterberg Talks with WDFN

Mlive.com, (from WDFN, February 21, 2007

 

Mike Stone: Have you ever experienced, I know not in your NHL career, but even growing up, a stage where everything you seem to touch seems to be going into the net, every pass you make seems to lead to a goal, I mean, you've got 24 points in the last ten games, that's quite a streak:

Henrik Zetterberg: Yeah, I would say that I've never, never been doing anything like this before, so it's pretty fun, and hopefully, it will last for a while.

Stoney: Do you, when you get in one of these zones, do you just figure out and say, "You know what, I'm just going to shoot, because everything I'm shoting is either going in, or everything I'm passing to somebody else on the team is going in?"

Zetterberg: Yeah, actually, you try not to think about it, just go out and play, and just hope for the best, and when I'm playing with good linemates like Pavel and Holmstrom, you know, it makes it a lot easier for me, too.

Stoney: Now playing with Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom, probably, at least, to us as fans, two guys who are completely different; you're actually somewhere in the middle because you play some bit of physical hockey, and Homer of course is physical, aPavel's really not...It's kind of a great mixture of a line because you have a guy like Datsyuk, like I said, who's not, Homer who's physical, and you, who can go either way...

Zetterberg: Yeah, it's a good mix between the three of us. I think Holmstrom does a tremendous job, for us, and he creates such...much room and time for us, and then when you give a player like Pavel an extra second, you know he's going to make a great play, and most of the time, the puck is either in the net or on the tape on your stick.

Stoney: You've had some goals this year that've been, shall we say, highlight goals, all over the country, probably all over the world because I'm sure they go back to Sweden. There was the one like Forsberg's in the Olympics, the one where you wrapped around behind the net and put it over that; how much of that stuff do you practice, or how much of that is instinct?

Zetterberg: Well, I think, when you're out playing, um, basically most of what you do is instinct; you just do something, and afterward, you think about it. But, um, like the penalty shot against the Avalanche, that's the stuff you do after practice, when you fool around with the goalie, and you know sometimes you will do it in a game, and just hopefully, it will work.

Stoney: When you do it in practice, is Dom, is Hasek harder to do it against than Ozzie?

Zetterberg: I would say that Dom, both Dom and Ozzie, they kind of, they have their own kind of style, so, I think that penalty shot works better if you go up against a butterfly goalie, I would say that it would not work on either Ozzie or Dom.

Stoney: How pissed off does Hasek get in practice when you score on him?

Zetterberg: He gets mad, so that's the fun part to going around in practice. I mean, you know you're going to shoot on Dom, and every shot he lets through, he gets really pissed, so that's just, it's amazing to see, and I've heard he's been like that for all his career.

Stoney: Pavel, as you know, had some problems in the playoffs, the last couple of seasons, everybody's waiting to see what he does in the playoffs; does he talk about that with you, does he get excited about the playoffs, to show everybody that he can be a playoff performer?

Zetterberg: I think that all of us, it's really, we're not happy about the way the last few years have been ending, and it's been way too quick in the playoffs, and I think all of us, just have to play better, and we have to play better as a team.

Stoney: For someone who's excelled so much in international competition, Hank, compare the Stanley Cup playoffs to playing in the Olympics. What's the biggest difference?

Zetterberg: Well, I think the biggest difference, in the Stanley Cup you play seven games against one team. In the Olympics, you have one game, and you have to be lucky and play really good; if you have one bad game, you're out. So I think that in the Stanley Cup it's, overall, the best team will win; in the Olympics, if you have a little luck, in a short amount of time, you can go all the way.

Stoney: You were drafted in 1999 in the seventh round, around 200 players were taken before you. Do you look back at that and laugh now, or do you think there was a reason that you didn't go until the seventh round?

Zetterberg: Well, I don't think I was good enough back then, to go higher in the rounds. I was a really small player, still not that big; I think I developed in Sweden, and they let me play in Timra, with my Swedish club, and also played in National team before they called me here, and I think that helps me a lot.

Stoney: Was Peter Forsberg everyone's idol growing up in Sweden, or was it just for forwards, and if you played D it was Nick everybody looked up to?

Zetterberg: Yeah, basically that. I think Forsberg and Sundin, was every forward's idol when I was growing up, and, of course, Nick Lidstrom, he's the best defenceman in the world, so of course a lot of young players look up to him.

Stoney: Did you like the Red Wings when you were growing up, or were you a Colorado guy because of Forsberg?

Zetterberg: Actually, I was a King guy because of Gretzky; I was a Kings fan when I was younger.

Stoney: It's interesting because the last time they were here, Gretzky had some amazing things to say about you. He put you just a notch below Crosby and Ovechkin, but he said that you work harder than anybody else in the league, that's got to make you feel good.

Zetterberg: Of course it does; when a player like that, probably the best player they ever had, says something like that about you, you get happy.

Stoney: Were you bummed at all that Forsberg ended up in Nashville?

Zetterberg: Well, it's, um, you know, it's, it would have been great to have him on the team, but it's, his team is Nashville, you know, and the team's playing good again, and he's healthy; that's the big part for him, and, you know, the good part, we're going to play him five times before the playoffs, so it's going to be some pretty good games.

Stoney: With the trading deadline coming up on the 27th, are guys getting nervous? And what do you think Ken Holland's going to pull for you guys?

Zetterberg: We don't know, actually. It's, there's a few players out there, and we all look at it, but I think we have a really good team already, so we just have to wait and see if we get any new players, or not.

Stoney: I'm just curious; what do you think America's biggest misconception of Sweden is? Is it that we think you just hang out with blonde women and listen to ABBA all day?

Zetterberg: (Laughs) Yeah, basically that, or most thing is, people think Sweden and Switzerland are the same country. That's kind popular, too.

Stoney: And how much do you like living here? Obviously, you'll probably go home when you retire, but what do you like doing here in Michigan? Is it a cool place for here?

Zetterberg: Yeah, I like it here, especially when we come over, after the summer, and you have some time to play, got some good golf courses here, and it's my fifth year here, now, so it's becoming home for me, and I really enjoy to live here.

 

 

Swedish Star Zetterberg Shining Bright

By Grant Kerr, Globe and Mail, February 21, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg has zoomed up the Swedish charts in the National Hockey League after an eight-point week earned him a second consecutive first-star selection by the league.

The offensive talents of the 26-year-old left winger from Njurunda often spark debate over who is the best Swede in the NHL.

A case can be made for Zetterberg, along with Detroit Red Wings teammate Nicklas Lidstrom, a defenceman, plus forwards Peter Forsberg of the Nashville Predators, Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators, Mats Sundin of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Michael Nylander of the New York Rangers.

Other Swedes of note this NHL season: the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik (Vancouver Canucks); Kristian Huselius (Calgary Flames); Tomas Holmstrom (Red Wings); and Markus Naslund (Canucks).

But for now, Zetterberg sits at the head of the forwards class. He has 64 points, one more than Nylander (before Tuesday night's games).

Zetterberg has 30 goals in 60 games after a sluggish start, has scored 10 times on power plays and, more importantly, his nine game-winning goals tie him for the league lead with Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks.

Zetterberg, who won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2006 Turin Olympics, credits his improved play of late to the work of linemates Pavel Datsyuk, a Russian, and Holmstrom.

Datsyuk is a playmaker and the pesky Holmstrom makes a beeline for the front of the net, leaving plenty of room for Zetterberg and Datsyuk to use their skills.

Zetterberg is a gifted skater, capable of pulling away from backcheckers before he gets around defenders to attack the net.

He has 21 points in eight games this month, with four game-winning goals.

"Ever since [Wings head coach Mike] Babcock put us together, we've been playing good," Zetterberg said Tuesday about skating alongside Datsyuk.

"Holmstrom has come in, too, and been just tremendous for us. I think he deserves more credit for the things he does for us. He creates a lot of room and gives us a lot of time to do things.

"Most of the time when I shoot, Holms is in front and the goalie doesn't see [the puck]. When I don't have the best shot in the league, it's easy for me to score some goals."

Detroit sits second in the Central Division, a point back of Nashville, and has five games remaining against the Predators, the first being Saturday in Nashville. Zetterberg looks forward to matching up against countryman Forsberg, traded last week to the Predators by the Philadelphia Flyers.

"We're the ones chasing them [for a change]," Zetterberg said. "They've been playing really good.

"They've made some really good moves on free agency and also with draft picks. It takes [time] to develop a good team and now they're one of the best teams in the league.

"[Forsberg] adds a new dimension. They already had a good team before they got Peter and now he's, of course, a real threat for them, especially on the power play. He's one of the best players in the world."

Zetterberg credits his scoring surge since the all-star break a month ago to having five days off, giving his sore wrist time to strengthen.

He hopes to still be fresh for the playoffs in April, noting the Red Wings were eliminated early in recent postseasons — by the Calgary Flames in the second round in 2004, and by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round last year.

"No one is happy by the way the seasons have been ending for a few years," Zetterberg said. "We know it's a lot more even with all the teams now. The first spot and the eighth spot, there's not that much difference.

"We just have to be ready when the first round starts and give all."

In six playoff games last spring, Zetterberg scored six times before the Red Wings were eliminated 4-2 by Edmonton in the best-of-seven series.

 

Red Wings' Zetterberg Showcases His Entire Game

By Kevin Allen, USA Today, February 21, 2007

 

Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg says having the NHL's best goalie screener, Tomas Holmstrom, as his linemate is a significant advantage "especially since I don't have the best shot in the league."

"Most of the time when I shoot, Holmstrom is in front, and the goalie doesn't see anything," Zetterberg says.

But NHL opponents have seen enough of Zetterberg to know that he's definitely underselling his ability. Although Zetterberg started slowly this season, a case can be made that he has been the league's most productive player over the past six weeks.

Just in February, he has 10 goals and 11 assists in eight games — five more points than scoring leader Sidney Crosby has recorded this month. He has been named the NHL's first star for back-to-back weeks. He has had three four-point games this month and two three-point games. For the season, he has 15 multiple-point games.

Despite his recent gaudy numbers, offense isn't necessarily the first aspect of Zetterberg's game that general manager Ken Holland mentions when he discusses how effective the left wing has been.

"I think he could win the Selke Trophy," Holland says. "To me, he's the best defensive forward in the game. He is plus-28 playing against the other team's best offensive players. He's good in every area. He has no weaknesses."

Originally, the idea was to have Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg on separate lines to balance the Red Wings' attack. However, when they struggled early, coach Mike Babcock put them on the same line, and they have produced a regular magic show.

"Ever since coach put us together again, we're playing good," Zetterberg said. "And Holmstrom has just come in here, too, and been tremendous for us. I think he deserves more credit for the things he does for us. He creates a lot of room, and he gives us a lot of time to do things."

The Red Wings' No. 1 line has 50 points in the last 10 games, and the team is 8-2. Zetterberg has five game-winning goals in that span.

"He probably is scoring more than you saw in Europe," Holland says. "You kind of thought he would come over be a 20- to 25-goal scorer and maybe 70 to 80 points. Now he's almost a 40-goal scorer."

Zetterberg has played much of the season with a painful wrist injury, and that's why he elected to withdraw from last month's All-Star Game.

"It was a tough decision to make," he says. "But when you think back, I think it was the right choice to take those days and really heal the body and be ready for the end of season."

 

Henrik Zetterberg Interview

By David Burstyn, McKeen's Hockey Prospects Staff, February 22, 2007

 

McKeen's had a chance to sit down with (Henrik Zetterberg) and ask him several questions about the direction of the team and some of his line mates.

McKeen's: This locker room has undergone many changes with the loss of several key players, namely Yzerman and Shanahan. How has this team adjusted?

Zetterberg: You are never going to replace those players. I would be naïve to tell you that. Their presence in this locker room helped to shape the Wings into Stanley Cup Champions. There is a picture above my stall where I change of Yzerman so I am fully aware of the contributions he has made every time I dress for the Red Wings. I would have to say that we as a team have managed to come together. Nicklas Lindstrom is a great leader; his resume speaks for itself. Everyone has been expected to assume more of a leadership role. This is still a room full of character and champions.

McKeen's: Things started a little slowly for you, offensively that is. How have you managed to pick up your game?

Zetterberg: Hockey, like all sports is all about confidence. I enjoy scoring, but if the team wins than in the end that is all that matters. A few games I just was not getting the bounces and at times goalies get hot. Playing with Datsyuk and Holmstrom on a daily basis, I know we will get our chances it is just a matter of time.

McKeen's: How good has the Red Wing organization been to you? Do you think much about the traditions of this original six franchise?

Zetterberg: This is a class organization through and through. Since my first training camp, I felt welcome and they have always been more than generous with me.

McKeen's: There are many Swedish born players on this team. Do you integrate any of your culture in the locker room?

Zetterberg: (Laughs) We have been trying to keep it the way it was before we all showed up. However, there is a little more Swedish flavour than years past.

McKeen's: Can you comment on the youth movement of the Red Wings. Which players have impressed you?

Zetterberg: In any organization to have good team success, it is really important to have capable young players who can not only step in but make a role for themselves. It pushes everyone a little harder and makes us more appreciative of what we have. Players like Val (Filppula) have done an excellent job of buying into team concepts and playing well when called upon.

 

Soaring Wing; Zetterberg's a Bona fide Candidate for the Hart Trophy

By Allan Muir, SI.com, February 22, 2007

 

There's no doubt that Sidney Crosby is the NHL's Most Valuable Marketing Tool. But is he the league's Most Valuable Player?

As the season heads into the straightaway, what once seemed like a no-brainer has become a legitimate question. To be sure, the teenaged scoring sensation has an arsenal of stats and achievements to back up his candidacy, including the surprising vault to legitimacy of his Penguins and his nearly insurmountable 14-point bulge in the scoring race.

But while Crosby is running away with the Art Ross, the Hart looks like it is up for grabs. There's no doubt that Martin Brodeur, with his 37 wins and 11 shutouts, belongs in the conversation. And now, after a two-month run of superlative play, so does Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg.

Zetterberg's been an upper echelon player for several years, but he's never played with this sustained level of excellence at any point in his career. As far as the Red Wings are concerned, his timing couldn't have been better.

Absent the talents of long-time leaders Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan, and with other key players such as Dominik Hasek and Chris Chelios nearing AARP eligibility, the Wings could easily have slipped into mediocrity this season. Instead, Zetterberg has put this left-for-dead gang on his back and carried them to the best record in the Western Conference.

Not that the transition was seamless. Thanks to a horrific start that saw him score just three points in his first 12 games, the success of his season isn't adequately reflected by the scoring race. There are 15 players who have more points than his 66. Eight have scored more than his 32 goals.

But in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, Zetterberg is building his case with a remarkable run of play since Christmas. Over that span, the 26-year-old left winger has 20 goals and 47 points in just 29 games. Even Sid The Kid hasn't matched that level of production.

Zetterberg earned the nod as the NHL's first star during the past two weeks and is on his way to a three-peat. And how about this nugget: he's been the first star in nine of Detroit's last 10 victories.

Could a second-half run generate enough votes to take the MVP? It's not inconceivable. Last year's winner, Joe Thornton, started his season so miserably that he was dealt by the Bruins to the Sharks. The move rejuvenated his hands to the point that he captured the Art Ross. More important, his arrival changed San Jose's fortunes, and their emergence as a legitimate contender earned him enough votes to win the Hart.

Zetterberg's final numbers aren't likely to generate that kind of pop, but his impact has been just as pronounced. Thanks to his play and that of linemates Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom, it is fair to ask if there is a more dangerous team in the NHL right now than the Red Wings. They are on a 9-2 run, and have won 13 in a row at home to move within one point of Buffalo for the overall league lead. You have to include Detroit in any discussion about Cup contenders. Without Zetterberg, they'd be alongside Colorado, looking at the playoffs from the outside.

What's really been noticeable about Zetterberg's run during that Detroit's hot streak is that he's not just scoring goals. He's scoring the big ones. After Wednesday night's victory over Chicago, he'd tallied three game-winners in a row. As the Wings clawed their way past Nashville to take over first place in the West, he's notched six of last eight winners and now has 10 on the season, a total that leads the NHL.

Those numbers are impressive, but where Zetterberg really separates himself from the pack is his Selke-worthy attention to all aspects of the game. You can dispute the value of his plus-28 rating, a mark that stands fifth in the league. But you can't argue with his success in the face-off circle, or his tireless work in his own end. The consensus around the league is that he's now the game's top two-way player.

That's important, because the odds are that he won't keep up this blistering offensive pace. But if he moves into the top 10 in scoring, and the Wings capture the West, his Hart candidacy will be impossible to ignore.

 

 

Who’s Hotter than Henrik Zetterberg? Nobody!

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, February 22, 2007

 

No hockey player in the world is hotter than the Detroit Red Wing’s Swedish star forward Henrik Zetterberg. How hot is he?

Henrik Zetterberg is lighting up the NHL with 13 goals and 12 assists in the last 10 games. During that 10 game stretch, Detroit has won 8 games. Zetterberg is the #1 star of the game in seven of those victories.

In last night’s 4-2 victory over the Chicago Black hawks, Henrik had two goals, including the game winner. He was named third star of the game, but only because Pavel Datsyuk scored his milestone 100^th career goal. Clearly Zetterberg is the MVP of the team. But is he a candidate for MVP of the league?

Zata’s season totals to date aren’t overwhelming. With his recent hot streak he has climbed to 9^th in the NHL with 32 goals and 16^th in the league with 66 total points. Perhaps most impressively, he puts up these outstanding offensive numbers while being 5^th in the NHL (3^rd amongst forwards) with a +28 (plus/minus). He is as much defensively responsible, at even strength and killing penalties, as he is flashy and skillful with the puck in the offensive zone. And he is masterful while weaving through opposing defenses and showing up enemy goaltenders.

When Henrik Zetterberg is hot, he is on fire. He leads the league with 8 games with 3 or more points. He is also 1st overall with 10 game winning goals this season. No one has been better since the All-Star break. Henrik was the NHL’s player of the week from February 3^rd to February 11^th with 5 goals and 4 assists in 4 games. He followed it up with a better week, scoring 4 goals and adding 4 assists in just four games, and winning the honor of player of the week for two consecutive weeks.

Had it not been for an early season slump, in which Zetterberg had only 3 points in first 12 games, including 9 game pointless streak, Henrik would be right amongst the league leaders. Since the slow start, head coach Mike Babcock re-united Zetterberg with Datsyuk and lime mate Tomas Holmstrom, and the line has created magic. Hank has had 63 points (30 goals and 33 assists) in the last 49 games. If he had not been separated from Datsyuk at the beginning of the season and had been able to play at the pace he has since mid-December, Henrik would have 37 goals (2nd in NHL) and 41 assists (17^th in NHL) for 78 points (4th in NHL). That’s would put him in the company of phenomenal players such as Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburg Penguins and Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning who are contenders for major awards, such as the Hart Trophy for Most Valuable Player. While there is no doubt that Zetterberg is the Red Wings MVP, it would be a hard case to sell to nominate him for MVP of the league, unless he actually increases his scoring pace.

If he continues at the rate he is going in the past 49 games, Henrik will have 45 goals, 48 assists, and 93 total points at the end of the regular season, all career highs. If you factor in the first 12 games, he is still on pace for 43 goals and 46 assists for 89 total points, still season bests for Zetterberg.

 

#40 Moves into Red Wings Top 40

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, February 24, 2007

 

By picking up an assist in tonights 4-3 overtime loss in Nashville, Henrik Zetterberg of the Detroit Red Wings collected his his 240^th career point (109 goals and 131 assists) moving past Dino Ciccarelli for 40^th amongst all-time Red Wings career scoring leaders.

Zetterberg assisted on Tomas Holmstrom’s third power-play goal of the game, giving Holmstrom his third career Hat trick and Detroit a 3-2 lead with just 5:08 left in the game. However, the Predators came back to tie the game with just over a minute remaining in regulation and won it in overtime on a goal by recently acquired Peter Forsberg. Nashville’s win tied them with the Red Wings for first place in the Central Division.

Zetterberg’s assist was his 35^th of the season. He has a team-leading 33 goals to date, and with 19 games left this season, is on pace for career highs with 43 goals and 46 assists for 89 total points.

With the point tonight, Henrik has a 7 game scoring streak and now has 28 points (14 goals and 14 assists) in his last 13 games.

 

Henrik Zetterberg is Not Exciting

By Jordan, Dirtygames.wordpress.com, February 26, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg is not exciting. Just quietly excellent.

He’s been around for four seasons now. He’s improved in every one of them.

He’s never called out a coach or held out for more money (unlike some talented Red Wings I could name…).

He’s worked as hard on his defensive game as his offensive game. He’s been one of very few Red Wings to play at a high level in the playoffs. He’s been shuffled from line to line (in fact his coach, Mike Babcock, said last year that he moves him around so much in order to light a spark under other players who are dogging it) for most of his career and hasn’t uttered a peep, even though it’s clear who he prefers to play with.

He’s done all this quietly and with class. Kind of like another Detroit Red Wing we could name. But we’ll leave that for the end of this little essay.

So what’s inspiring about a guy who plays good hockey and keeps his mouth shut?

Not much until, you know, the game is actually on the line. Until his team trails going into the third period or finds itself in a tight match in overtime.

Then — still without opening his mouth or demanding the puck or assuming that it’s his show — he flat out wins the game. It’s called grace under pressure, and it’s something very few of us possess.

Zetterberg leads the league in game-winning goals. In Detroit’s last 10 wins, he’s been chosen the first star in nine of them. During the playoff push — since Christmas actually — he has more points than anyone in the league.

Here, he wins a game against Phoenix. That was one of three in that game. Here, he sets up an incredible goal to tie a game against Dallas. He scored the winner three minutes later. Here, he embarrasses Peter Budaj to win the game in a shootout.

It’s not just that those goals are clutch. And it’s not just that they’re all gorgeous examples of someone who has more talent than 99 per cent of players in the league. It’s that there’s no arrogance, no entitlement and no look-at-me antics.

I wrote a little while ago about Sidney Crosby’s reputation as a whiner. I’ve never, ever seen Henrik complain to the refs about anything. And he takes some serious punishment. In fact, if you stop him, you beat the Red Wings, so he’s guaranteed to face some dirty tactics. But he gets up, spits out a couple of teeth (he just got a couple more caps put in last week) and wins the game.

But mostly, what’s not exciting — but very inspiring — is how seriously he takes his commitment to being a great player and not just a great scorer. A lot of players — and a lot of us, if we had that kind of talent, would ignore the defensive aspect of the game. It would waste energy that could be better spent on scoring, it would leave us trapped in our own zone instead of taking breakout passes that could spring a breakaway and an easy chance for a highlight-reel goal. That’s not even an issue for Zetterberg. He’s fifth in the league in plus/minus and is a lock to win the Selke trophy for best defensive forward, unless he loses that one and wins the Hart trophy, for MVP.

The point is not that he’s a wonderful player. Obviously he is. But what makes him special is that:

a) He’s not out there revelling in the fact that he’s “arrived” as a superstar. He’s out practicing and getting even better. He’s not talking about it. He’s doing it. You tell him he’s great and he shrugs and says, “I play with great players.”

b) For all the skill he has, there are guys who have just as much talent, but — and here you’ll remember Chris Bosh — not half the heart.

That’s where the NHL-leading 10 game-winning goals come from. Not from slick skating and deft stickwork, but from that place inside him that hates losing so much that he’ll put the goddamned team on his back and do it all himself if he has to.

Wings fans recognize that attitude:

“You look at a guy like Joe Sakic or Steve Yzerman; they had all the skill in the world, but they had will and they drove the team. That’s what the great players do and that’s what (Zetterberg) does for us.” — Coach Mike Babcock

And here’s Wayne Gretzky — you’ve heard of him — after Zetterberg took his team apart.

“He plays unselfishly.

“He’s a pretty special player. Guys like (Alexander) Ovechkin and (Sidney) Crosby, who is probably the best player in the game today, and Joe Thornton’s a pretty good player, but this guy right here is one of the elite players and he probably doesn’t get enough credit for being an elite player. He’s definitely in that category of players.

And here’s Babock again, summing it up:

“He’s just got better and better, and he’s earned the right to be confident. He thinks, and he wouldn’t tell you that, but he thinks that he’s one of the best players in the league, and he is”

The key part of that sentence: “He wouldn’t tell you that.”

But he knows it.

 

Red Hot Red Wing put on Ice.

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, February 28, 2007

 

Some might say Henrik Zetterberg has been carrying the Detroit Red Wings on his back this season. Maybe that is the reason he will miss the next 2-3 weeks with an inflamed disk.

Originally, Zetterberg suffered from back spasms after pulling up on a drill during practice on Monday. As a result of the spasms, Henrik stayed in Detroit as the team traveled to Chicago to play the Black hawks. An initial MRI showed nothing, and the Wings had hoped to have him back Friday after missing only one game. However, a second MRI on Wednesday revealed the inflammation. The team doctors recommend 7-10 days of rest, with no physical exertion. After that, they plan on bringing Zetterberg back slowly to prevent further injury.

Zetterberg will likely miss 7 or 8 of Detroit’s remaining 18 games. He was on a hot streak, easily the NHL’s best player in the month of February with 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 11 games, including 5 game-winning goals. Zetterberg currently has a 7 game scoring streak and was on pace for a career high 42 goals and 45 assists. If he misses 8 games, Henrik will only be on pace for 38 goals and 41 assists, falling short of the milestone 40 goals. But, if he comes back as hot as he was when he left, he could score seven goals in 10 games to reach 40.

Injuries make take a toll on the Red Wings and their battle with the Nashville Predators for first place overall in the central division. Aside from Zetterberg, the team’s statistical leader, Detroit is playing without wingers Mikael Samuelsson and Dan Cleary, as well as newly acquired power-forward Todd Bertuzzi, who is also out a few more weeks with a bad back.

There is one upside to Zetterberg being out of the line-up. It gives him an opportunity to rest his left wrist, which has had tendonitis for the past few seasons. Additionally, Hank will be well rested heading into the play-offs.

 

Zetterberg, DiPietro, and Brodeur Named February 'Three Stars'

NHL.com, March 1, 2007

 

Detroit Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg, New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro and New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for February.

FIRST STAR -- HENRIK ZETTERBERG, LW, DETROIT RED WINGS

Zetterberg led all NHL scorers in February, tallying 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 11 games. He scored five game-winning goals and posted a +9 rating as the Red Wings went 8-2-2 and reached the 40-victory mark for the ninth consecutive season (40-16-8). Playing alongside Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom, Zetterberg had multiple points in seven contests, highlighted by three, four-point games. He tallied one goal and three assists in a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues Feb. 2, recorded two goals and two assists in a 7-4 win over the Calgary Flames Feb. 11 and recorded three goals and one assist in a 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes Feb. 17. Zetterberg leads the Red Wings in points (68), goals (33) and shots (224), and leads the NHL with 10 game-winning goals.

 

Hurt Zetterberg Tops in Clutch

By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY, March 1, 2007

 

The Detroit Red Wings, in the midst of an intense scrap with the Nashville Predators for first place in the Central Division, might be without their surging leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg for two weeks because of a back injury.

Zetterberg has already missed one game because of inflammation in a disc.

"He is feeling better, but the doctor feels rather than be reactive, we will be proactive and shut him down for seven or 10 days," said Detroit general manager Ken Holland. "He is pretty optimistic that will get the inflammation down, and hopefully he will be ready for a good long playoff."

In February, Zetterberg was the league's hottest player, scoring 13 goals in 11 games. He had three four-point games and a pair of three-point games.

Nine of his goals put his team ahead, earning him the monthly USA TODAY Clutch Scorer award, a computerized formula that rewards players for goals and assists that occur when the score is tight. All other Red Wings combined had eight go-ahead goals, and Zetterberg set up four of those. Four tie-breakers came in the third period.

The timing for Zetterberg's injury isn't good for the Red Wings because they have seven games over the next 14 days, including three against Nashville.

 

Zetterberg Draws the Calls Best among the Red Wings

By Bruce MacLeod, Journal Register News Service, March 4, 2007

 

Why doesn't the NHL keep statistics on created power plays ... the guy who draws the penalty that puts his team on the power play. The ability to create power plays is a skill that is a constant. In other words, the same names will be near the top of the category every year because they do what it takes to draw a penalty.

If you look at the Red Wings this season, it becomes obvious that there are two qualities that help a player draw penalties: being a dynamo who keeps his feet moving; or being a disliked opponent who draws wrath.

With 38 created power plays this season, Henrik Zetterberg leads the Red Wings. Zetterberg falls into the former category, the player who keeps going until an opponent needs to go against the rules to stop him.

If a power play functions at 20 percent (and the Red Wings' power play has been over that mark for the past half of the season), then Zetterberg's created power plays should have given the Red Wings eight goals. In reality, the Red Wings have scored eight goals on Zetterberg-created power plays.

That might not seem like much, but if every player on the roster contributed three extra goals, many more wins would follow.

 

Zetterberg Sees a Playoff Return

By Ted Kulfan, Detroit News, March 24, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg expects to be ready for the playoffs, but he's realistic.

With any back injury, it's a bit of a guessing game.

"If it's the same progress as it's been the last week, I'll be playing," Zetterberg said. "But you never know with the back. A little tweak, or something, and you're right back at the beginning."

Zetterberg, out since Feb 26, didn't do anything for about three weeks. This week, he has been able to put on the gear and do some light skating and shooting for about 20 minutes a day.

"Every day you get closer," Zetterberg said. "I go out there myself and get a feel for the puck. I'm still far away from playing but taking each step every day."

Coach Mike Babcock said this week he's hopeful Zetterberg could play the last few games of this season.

"We'd like to have him back as soon as we can, but we have to be smart about it," Babcock said.

The most trying thing for Zetterberg is regaining the strength in his back muscles.

 

 

Zetterberg Uncertain about Return from Back Injury

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, March 24, 2007

 

The unpredictability of back injuries makes it difficult to pinpoint a return date for Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg.

The club is hoping he'll play in the final few games of the regular season. But, Zetterberg said Friday that he's still "far away'' from playing. How far? It's hard to say.

"If I have the same progress I've had the last week, I will be in the playoffs,'' Zetterberg said."But, you never know with a back. Just a little tweak or something and you're right back to the beginning. So you have to stabilize your stomach and your back and just get everything back together.

"I did basically nothing for three weeks, so my body needs to get back into shape, too. It's going to take a while, but if my back still feels good, I will be back for the playoffs.''

Zetterberg, out since Feb. 26 with an inflamed disc, has skated by himself for 15-to-20 minutes in full equipment each of the last three days. He's not skating hard or taking many shots. If he doesn't experience any setbacks, he hopes to start practicing with the team after the weekend.

"No stops and starts or any battling yet,'' Zetterberg said. "I just have to be careful that there's no setbacks. So far it's been good. Hopefully, when I start practicing with the guys I'll start feeling good.''

Wings coach Mike Babcock said the best-case scenario would have Zetterberg returning at the end of next week. That would mean perhaps Friday's home game against Dallas or the April 1 game at Columbus. But, that might be optimistic considering he won't begin skating at full speed until the middle of next week, at the earliest.

"We'd like to have him back as quick as we can and yet we have to be smart about what we're doing,'' Babcock said.

“Anytime one of your best players is injured it’s a concern,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said Tuesday, before his team’s 5-2 victory in Nashville. “Our hope is to get him healthy and in our lineup for regular season games.”

 

 

"The last few days it's feeling better and better. I'm just going to see how it reacts to the rehab and go from there. I'm moving a lot better now. The everyday stuff, I'm having no problems with," Zetterberg said.

 

Hank Needs Several Practices

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, March 25, 2007

 

When Babcock was asked about Henrik Zetterberg, he turned to the injured star center, who happened to be walking by and said, “Hey, they’re asking me what’s the matter with you, because I don’t know either, that’s the longest holiday in sport.’’
“I just watched him out there flying around at 100 mph, doing things good enough to play,’’ Babcock said. “Obviously, we got to do the right thing with him. That’s why coaches aren’t involved in these (decisions) because you’d walk out and see him and say, ‘Get your uniform on and play.’ ’’
Zetterberg (inflamed disc) skated again for about 15-20 minutes with three of his teammates during a light, optional practice (how light? Andreas Lilja’s kids were also skating, as well as other players’ family members).
“You got to know your body and you have to be smart, you don’t want to rush back and play one game and be out four more weeks,’’ Zetterberg said. “I hope I can (play some games before the playoffs), but it’s getting closer and closer.’’
The Wings play Anaheim on Monday and will take Tuesday off, so the soonest Zetterberg can have his first full practice with the team is Wednesday. He was asked how many full practices it’ll take before he can play.
“I would say the first practice I probably wouldn’t do any contact,’’ Zetterberg said. “If I get 3-4 good practices in with full contact I will be ready to play again.’’
So it sounds like he probably won’t return until next week, at the earliest.

 

Dynamic Duo: Forwards Zetterberg, Datsyuk Step Up as Leaders

By Helene St. James, Free Press, April 1, 2007

 

When Pavel Datsyuk threw on his Red Wings jersey recently, he noticed something strange.

"Oh," he said, "it felt very heavy. I feel it when I put it on, it's a heavy jersey."

Datsyuk, 28, was making a joke: The day that happened was March 20, when the Wings were in Calgary. Two key teammates weren't there: Henrik Zetterberg, 26, who has worn an assistant's "A" since the season began, and Chris Chelios, who had worn it since Zetterberg suffered an inflamed disk Feb. 24. With both missing, Datsyuk got the nod to wear the "A," which made him, he said, "feel very important."

That's a feeling that's about to grow. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are the most dominant forwards on the team as the Wings enter the playoffs, and how the Wings fare will depend largely on how they do.

The first priority with Zetterberg is to get him back into the lineup. He is expected to return this week, which will allow him to squeeze in a few games before the season ends. The good news is that he has been able to practice -- something that Datsyuk hadn't done before returning last year for Game 2 of the playoffs after missing three weeks because of a charley horse so severe that blood had to be drained.

If both are healthy when the playoffs start in another week and a half, Datsyuk and Zetterberg are poised to dominate. Zetterberg did so last spring when he averaged a goal a game during the first-round series with Edmonton, and having done that once will make it easier for him to do so again. Datsyuk used March to silence critics who wondered how he'd play without Zetterberg. Datsyuk has emerged as a strong player, so capable in all situations, that he, too, will be aided by that experience when the playoffs begin.

To their coach, Mike Babcock, both are so much better today than they were a year ago, he said, "it's not even funny." To elaborate: Both are backing up last year's breakout seasons with stellar performances this year, and that breeds an innate confidence that will make a difference when the games get really tight.

"Why are they better players now? Because they know," Babcock said. "They know. Last year they had career years. Now they're not having career years, they're just having good years, because that's what they are. They're high-end players in the league. They're that good. They're driving the bus now."

Zetterberg said his role has changed because of the letter attached to his jersey.

"I try to take a little bit more responsibilities off and on the ice," he said, "to try to push the team a little bit."

When Steve Yzerman retired and Brendan Shanahan left for the New York Rangers last summer, Nicklas Lidstrom headlined the core of veterans who assumed greater leadership roles. It is Datsyuk and Zetterberg who have emerged from the shadows, demonstrating a willingness and ability to shoulder the team.

"Me and Pav have the most ice time out there for the forwards, so we have a big responsibility to give back to the team and we do our best," Zetterberg said. "We want to be successful. I think it has a lot to do with experience, too. You have to learn to be a leader."

Datsyuk and Zetterberg, as good as they were through last season, have done so much more this season. In October and November, questions arose about their readiness to succeed Yzerman, the former captain, and Shanahan, who had been an assistant captain. Neither Datsyuk nor Zetterberg was producing much, but "they didn't want to play together," Babcock said. By December they were reunited, and the change in production was immediate. From there, everything has followed.

"I think at the start, you wonder if you should change something," Babcock said. "Then you figure out if you just be yourself, you're fine. Steve provided leadership and he did it in his own way, and that's what Pavs and Z have to do. When you're figuring it out for yourself, maybe you're not as comfortable. They're obviously comfortable with it now."

 

 

Zetterberg out Thursday, doubtful for Saturday

By Helene St. James, Free Press, April 3, 2007

 

I think it’s safe to say Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg won’t play again before the regular season ends.

Mike Babcock said after Tuesday’s game that Zetterberg would not play Thursday at Chicago, leaving only Saturday’s game against Chicago remaining before the regular season ends.

As much as Babcock raves about how Zetterberg looks in practices, Zetterberg hasn’t yet completely recovered from the inflamed disk that has sidelined him since Feb. 24. Babcock repeatedly has said he hopes to Zetterberg will play this week; Zetterberg said that’s only natural, but pointed out it’s not Babcock’s call.
“He’s a coach, he’s not a trainer or doctor,” Zetterberg said, laughing. “Of course he wants me to play, and I want to play, too, but you have to be a little smart, too. I’d rather be ready for playoffs than play the last two of the regular season. But we haven’t made a decision yet.
“I felt pretty good today, but still, I haven’t done the final steps in practice – battling and starts and stops. I think I have to do that before playing.”
Zetterberg is far too important to the Wings to risk him re-aggravating the injury just for the sake of having him play the last game or two. The key thing is that he’s been practicing – that’s something Pavel Datsyuk was not able to do last spring, when he got hurt and then jumped right into Game 2 of the playoffs. While it’s true a player needs his timing back – and Zetterberg will have missed nearly seven weeks if he doesn’t play this week – Zetterberg, I think, is still better off waiting to play. It’s not like two games (which will be followed by a week’s downtime before the playoffs begin) is going to make that huge a difference, anyway.

 

 

Zetterberg to Buy Smoke Detectors

By New Hudson, DetroitRedWings.com April 6, 2007

Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg will purchase 1,500 smoke detectors and donate them to local fire departments as part of his ongoing commitment to assist low income families throughout Metro Detroit.

Zetterberg will be at the Lowe's Home Improvement Store in New Hudson on Friday, April 6 at 3:30 p.m. to meet with representatives of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), as well as members of various fire departments, to donate the detectors to residents, who are unable to afford the devices for their homes. The fire departments will assist in distributing the detectors throughout the area.

Zetterberg's purchase represents a personal donation that matches the amount of detectors and money, which fans generously donated during the Red Wings smoke detector collection this season. Approximately 800 smoke detectors from these collections were donated to the Detroit Fire Department and Macomb County earlier this year.

"I am happy to be a part of such a worthwhile program," Zetterberg said. "Fires are a year round problem and I hope that this donation will remind everyone of the importance of having working smoke detectors in your home."

The Lowe's is located at 30547 Lyon Center Drive East, New Hudson, MI 48165. The store number is 248-264-3000.

 

Zetterberg’s Career-best Season Cut Short by Bad Back: Will he be ready for Playoffs?

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, April 7, 2007

 

Since suffering an inflamed/herniated disc in his lower back in practice after February 24th’s game versus the Nashville Predators, Detoit Red Wings star forward Henrik Zetterberg missed the final 19 games of the regular season.

At the time of Zetterberg’s injury he was on a hot streak, easily the NHL’s best player in the month of February with 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 11 games, including 5 game-winning goals. Zetterberg had a 7 game scoring streak and was on pace for a career high 42 goals and 45 assists. Even after missing the last 19 games, Henrik finished the regular season leading the team with 33 total goals in just 63 games, just six shy of his career-high 39 from last season. Zetterberg also had 35 assists for 68 total points this year. He was a plus-27 with 36 penalty minutes on the season.

 

It was a season were Henrik established himself as one of the NHL’s premiere players. Before he was forced out of the lineup, he led the league with 10 game-winning goals.

Zetterberg also achieved several milestones this year. On February 7^th, the skilled Swedish forward scored two go-ahead goals, including his game-winning 100^th career goal, and picked up an assist in the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. He was selected as NHL's "First Star" of the Week (ending February 11th) with 5 goals and 4 assists in 4 games. Henrik got his first career hat-trick in a 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on February 17th. He was named the NHL's "First Star" of the Week (ending February 18th), for the second consecutive week, with 4 goals and 4 assists in 3 games. In his last game played, the 4-3 overtime loss at Nashville, Zetterberg made ten shots in one game and picked up an assist for his 240^th career point (109 goals and 131 assists) moving past Dino Ciccarelli for 40^th amongst all-time Red Wings career scoring leaders.

 

Zetterberg, and the Red Wings, were hopeful that Henrik would be able to return and play some games prior to the start of the playoffs. Nobody wanted Zetterberg to come back cold for game one, including Detroit’s head coach Mike Babcock. However the choice isn’t the coaches or even Zetterberg’s to make.

Zetterberg had this to say earlier this week, "Of course (Coach Babcock) wants me to play, I want to play, too, but you have to be a little smart, too, and I’d rather be ready for the playoffs than play the last two in the regular season. But, we haven’t made a decision yet. I felt pretty good today, but I haven’t done final steps in practice, battling and stops and starts.The more I can do (on the ice) and in the workout room, the better I get. "I just have to find a way to make those bad days not come as often."

 

The good news is that Zetterberg still has plenty of time to practice in the next week, prior to game one of the playoffs. He may be a little rusty after missing seven weeks, but he should be well rested and ready to go mentally. If Babcock puts Zetterberg back on the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom, expect the line to be productive. With the late-season additions of gritty and skilled forwards Todd Bertuzzi and Kyle Calder, opponents won’t be able to focus all of their attention on Detroit’s #1 scoring line. 

 

…Happy being in Detroit

By Bruce MacLeod, Journal Register News Service, April 8, 2007

 

If you think it's fun to watch him in games, then you'd love to see (Pavel) Datsyuk at practice, playing keepaway with Henrik Zetterberg -- the pair throwing all rules of science out the window and making the puck dance and levitate. Datsyuk and Zetterberg grab each other's jerseys. They lean into each other like brothers. They laugh every single time that they play the one-on-one game on their own patch of ice after all the drills are complete.

They behave like children although they can gain or lose millions of dollars based on their performances.

…be thankful that the Red Wings are a franchise that holds onto its players in their prime. Datsyuk's signing is a confirmation that the Red Wings are going to do everything they can to keep players who are in their most productive seasons. With Datsyuk locked up, it's a good bet that Zetterberg will sign again with Detroit when his contract expires after two more seasons.

And that has to put smiles on every hockey fan's face in Detroit.

When Todd Bertuzzi was acquired, there was a lot of discussion about how valuable and how rare big, power forwards are. But I don't think that's using perspective.

Big forwards are rare. But forwards who have the skills of Datsyuk and Zetterberg are even rarer. They are arguably two of the top 10 forwards in the NHL, a 30-team circuit.

They're the two best defensive forwards on the team. They're the two most dangerous forwards offensively on the team.

And they're also two men who realize that they're well paid to play a child's game. And that makes it easier to feel like a kid again watching them play.

 

Zetterberg Set to Go

By Bruce MacLeod, Macomb Daily Sports Writer, April 8, 2007

 

Both Babcock and general manager Ken Holland said Saturday that Henrik Zetterberg would play in the playoff opener. Zetterberg has missed the past 19 games with an inflamed disk in his back. Babcock said that Zetterberg could have played yesterday, but was held out as a precaution.

"We just didn't feel for one game it would make a difference in his game," said Babcock.

 

Hank at Full Speed

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, Friday, April 13, 2007

 

It sure didn’t seem like Henrik Zetterberg hadn’t played in two months. You get the feeling that his inflamed disc may have been healed awhile ago, and the Red Wings were keeping him out of the line-up, resting him up for the playoffs. They said for weeks that he would be ready for game 1, and he was, skating like he hadn’t missed a shift, going into the corners, even throwing some solid checks. Zetterberg’s return was a big lift and a big contribution in Detroit’s 4-1 over the Calgary Flames Thursday night.

While he did not score any goals or pick up any assists, it was obvious that Zetterberg wasn’t hindered by a wonky lower back. He played just under twenty minutes, had four shots on goal, was a +2 (plus/minus), and received a two-minute holding penalty in the 2^nd period. He played a little gritty, with an edge. He even got under the skin of Calgary’s Jerome Iginla late in the game. Zetterberg’s efforts didn’t show up on the scoresheet, but they were effective on agitating and making space for linemate Pavel Datsyuk to create offense. As expected, he played flawlessly in the defensive end. All around, he looked like the missed time in the regular season will pay off in the post-season.

Maybe Detroit was letting on that Henrik was more injured than he really was, using him as a little bit of a secret weapon for round one. If Datsyuk and Zetterberg get it going, it’s going to be a short round for the Flames.

 

'I had a lot of energy inside of me'

By Chuck Pleines, Macomb Daily Sports, April 15, 2007

 

Detroit Red Wing forward Henrik Zetterberg really wanted to test himself in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs Thursday night against the Calgary Flames.

And despite missing the final 19 games of the regular season with an inflamed disc in his back, he felt he passed with flying colors.

Two days after the Wings' 4-1 win over the Flames and two days after he dished out a team-high five hits in the game, Zetterberg returned to the Joe Louis Arena ice Saturday in preparation for Game 2 today.

"I really wanted to test myself (Thursday)," said Zetterberg, who last played Feb. 24 against Nashville. "I think it's better to make some hits rather than take some hits. That was my plan and I'm glad it worked.

"I think my timing was a little bit off," Zetterberg continued. "Otherwise, I felt good. I felt real good condition wise and my back was no problem at all. That was all real positive."

Amongst the Wings' regulars, Zetterberg, who played nearly 20 minutes Thursday, finished with a team-low 19 hits during the regular season.

"I've been off for five weeks so I had a lot of energy inside of me," Zetterberg said. "So I just wanted to let everything out. It was fun to be out there playing again."

Zetterberg said when he woke up Friday morning he didn't feel any different than what he would have felt like the morning after a game.

"The day after is always the biggest test," Zetterberg said. "There were no problems at all so I was real happy."

During practice, teams don't hit. Zetterberg said he worked with Johan Franzen to adjust to that part of the game.

"I was pretty confident my back was going to hold up," Zetterberg said. "I had a little battle with (Franzen) a few days before and I think that was a pretty good test."

Zetterberg did receive a crosscheck in the back midway through the first period. He feels those types of plays won't make his back any worse.

 

Zetterberg a Surprise Hit in Opener

By Randy Sportak, Sun Media, April 15, 2007

 

Calgary's Dion Phaneuf didn't come close to matching the number of hits Henrik Zetterberg registered in Game 1 of the Flames-Red Wings quarter-final.

Neither did fellow Flames (and notorious hitters) Rhett Warrener, Brad Stuart, Roman Hamrlik or Wayne Primeau.

Jarome Iginla was the only Flame who recorded as many hits -- five -- as Detroit's shifty sniper.

That may have surprised many in the hockey world but not Zetterberg's linemate Pavel Datsyuk.

"Oh yeah. He's a power forward now," Datsyuk said with a grin.

Five hits in a game is an impressive feat for any player but, for Zetterberg, it's amazing. In the regular season, he recorded the fewest checks of any Red Wings regular -- 19 in 63 games.

Zetterberg ex-plained he was simply making up for lost time.

"I'd been off for five weeks, so I had a lot of energy inside of me and let everything out," Zetterberg said.

"It was fun to be out playing.

"I wanted to test myself and I think it's better to make some hits than get hit. That was my plan and I'm glad it worked."

Just imagine what impact Zetterberg will have after he shakes off the rust from missing the final 19 regular-season games due to a back injury.

Despite the hiatus, the left winger led all Wings in scoring with 33 goals and was second with 68 points.

Zetterberg was one of the few offensively potent Detroit stars held off the scoresheet in the series opener.

"I think my timing was a little bit off but otherwise, I felt good," he said after yesterday's practice. "Conditioning-wise I felt good and my back was no problem at all."

Which has the Wings feeling confident about their playoff chances.

Skating alongside Datsyuk, Zetterberg gives the Wings a dynamic duo comparable to any in the NHL.

When Zetterberg was injured, he was on a tear with 14 goals and 14 assists in 13 games and was named the NHL's first star for the second consecutive week.

"The numbers he was putting up, he was unbelievable," said Wings forward Kris Draper. "He was having great stretches at a time and was doing it at both ends of the rink. He's a terrific hockey player."

And, judging by his performance Thursday, Zetterberg has more moxie than outsiders expect.

"Oh, he's a very competitive person," Draper added.

"You know how (Peter) Forsberg was in his prime? He's very similar. He can go out and physically play the game.

"He wants to finish checks and he's really strong in the offensive zone."

Zetterberg is excited to get back on the ice for Game 2 today (11 a.m., CBC).

"I think we played a good game," he said of his team's performance in Game 1.

"We wanted to have a good start in this round, especially at home.

"We wanted to come out flying and play physical.

"I think we did that."

 

Is 'Z' the next Stevie Y? Wings bullish on Zetterberg

By George Johnson, Calgary Herald, April 15, 2007

 

Chris Osgood, the pride of Peace River, figures there's only one thing Henrik Zetterberg lacks.

"A long playoff run. Hank's already a Top 5 in the league, in my opinion,'' maintained Detroit's backup goalie.

"One of the best all-around players you'll find. He scores beautiful goals. He's going to be a Selke Trophy candidate for years to come. You saw the other night. He backchecks Iginla. He forechecks Phaneuf. He can be a pain in the butt, or he can be a Lecavalier or a Jagr.

"But because we haven't had a lot of playoff success since he got here -- losing out in the second round against Calgary three years ago, then the lockout year, and the one round against Edmonton last season -- a lot of fans, especially in Canada, haven't really seen that much of him. So he kind of flies under the radar.''

After five weeks out of the lineup due to back issues, Zetterberg, his timing impeccable, returned for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarter-final on Thursday night at JLA. And he looked as if he'd never been away. No points, true, but a healthy 20 minutes of ice time, a plus-2 and four cracks at breaking down Miikka Kiprusoff's door. Even more impressive: five hits, as if to show he's completely healed and ready to roll.

"My back was no problem at all,'' he reported. "And what's better, no problems (Friday). That's usually when you feel it, the next day. I was pretty sure it would hold up.

"I felt good. I had a lot of energy stored inside me.''

Don't for a nanosecond doubt that the friskiness so obvious in the performance of Pavel Datsyuk wasn't directly linked to Zetterberg's return.

"He and Pavel have such an understanding on the ice, it's almost scary,'' said the truculent Kris Draper.

Zetterberg is tough. Not the stereotypically traditional grunt-and-scratch NHL definition of the word. Competitive tough. He isn't shy about working the wall. And he's at his most effective in confined spaces, absorbing the crosscheck, fending off the slash, shrugging off the physical abuse, to make a play or power to the net. Call it the Henrik Manouevre.

In the opener, the Wings overwhelmed Calgary, and much of that was directly attributable to the unflagging tenacity of their forwards.

"We want to just play the same way (today),'' said Zetterberg. "We have to continue to be hard on their D and play as much as possible in their zone. We have to come out flying again, because they're going to be much better.''

While those five weeks out of commission didn't do anything for his stats (he nevertheless finished with a more-than-respectable 33 goals and 68 points in only 63 starts), they could turn out to be a positive boon for the Stanley Cup-chasing Wings. "To see those guys, Pavel and Z, out there together the other night was great for our team,'' said Draper. "Z's fresh. He's excited. We missed him when he was hurt, obviously, but in the long run it could pay big dividends for us.

"He's so strong on the puck, so strong on his stick, so strong on his skates. He can make plays or score goals that are amazing. But if he has to dump the puck in, he'll go and get it, too. Kills penalties. Plays power play. Out there against the other team's top line. He pretty much has everything.''

Everything except one thing.

"Hank may not be a household name yet,'' cautioned Osgood, "but if we do make a long run in the playoffs this spring, everyone will know who he is.''

 

Wings' Eurotwins are a Perfect Match

BY Helene St. James, Free Press, April 18, 2007

 

Pavel Datsyuk doesn't use hair-care products, a teammate pointed out, while Henrik Zetterberg has rock star hair.

The two young Red Wings have markedly different personalities, and there are those around them who wonder at times how they communicate so well. Their chemistry, though, is indisputable: They became fast friends four years ago, have played well with one another, and now they're as dominant a pairing as can be found in the NHL.

Their line with Tomas Holmstrom has been a major source of trouble for the Calgary Flames. Entering Tuesday's Game 3, Datsyuk already had two goals in the first-round series, and Zetterberg had played incredibly physical for a guy who missed the last 19 games of the regular season because of an inflamed disk.

"From our point of view, we haven't made it hard enough on them," Flames captain Jarome Iginla said Tuesday morning. "We've got to control the puck more. If we don't have it, that means they do, so the more we can keep it out of their hands by controlling it in their zone and putting pressure on them, it goes back to that thing that the best defense is a good offense. If they have it in our zone and they're flying around the neutral zone, they're going to get chances. They're that good of players."

Through two games Zetterberg had 11 shots on goal and Datsyuk had three points. Holmstrom's one assist belies how important he is to the success of the other two.

"He's the guy who gives me and Pav an extra few seconds," Zetterberg said. "He is always battling in front of the net and makes it tough for the goalie, so that helps us -- when we shoot, the goalie doesn't see the puck. It's a good play to put it on net because you know he will always be there."

It is Datsyuk and Zetterberg, though, who are the stars, who dazzle pretty much every shift with the way they stickhandle and move through traffic and beat two or three defenders at a time. The way they're bulldozing everyone reminds newcomer Todd Bertuzzi of the magic he and Markus Naslund had together five years ago with the Canucks.

"I think Dats and Zetterberg are doing exactly what we were doing out there, and it's fun when things are rolling," Bertuzzi said. "You've got confidence in any situation out there. There's nothing better. It makes hockey fun, and that's the most important thing because when hockey is fun, you end up playing better."

Datsyuk and Zetterberg have been having fun together since Zetterberg joined the Wings for the 2002-2003 season, one year after Datsyuk. Almost immediately, the Swedish Zetterberg and Russian Datsyuk became known among teammates as the Eurotwins. To this day, teammates catch them with their heads together, scheming like two schoolchildren, even though Zetterberg's English is far superior to Datsyuk's.

"Sometimes you wonder what they might be talking about over there," Kirk Maltby said. "But whatever it is, they can keep doing it."

It is obvious to everyone the two have something special. They often use practices to try all sorts of tricks, relying on a common hockey sense.

"They're kind of on the same wave length as far as what they try to do, want to do out there on the ice," Maltby said. "They're two different types of personalities, but in the hockey world, they're the Eurotwins. They seem to know what the other is going to do. We're very fortunate that they do have the chemistry they have."

The Wings organization is so committed to keeping them together that Datsyuk was signed to a seven-year extension this month, and Zetterberg will be offered an extension at the earliest possible moment, in the summer of 2008. The power of the Eurotwins is indisputable, and their differences just make it all the more remarkable, as Maltby explained when asked to elaborate on what sets the two apart.

"They're both kind of quiet, but Hank, he dresses a little flashier," Maltby said. "He wears his jeans and his Armani shirts. Hank's got the long, shaggy, big hairdo, and Pav, I don't think Pav even uses mousse or gel. They're two different people, but they click on the ice."

 

Wings' Top Line Held Pointless Again

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, April 20, 2007

 

Wings coach Mike Babcock juggled two of his lines to come up with a potent combination, as Todd Bertuzzi and Johan Franzen each scored a goal with their new center, Robert Lang, in Game 4 vs. Calgary. But, the top line of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom, so dominant the first two games of this opening-round playoff series, has been held without a point in the last two games, a pair of 3-2 losses for the Wings.

Babcock, at various times in the third period Thursday, put Valtteri Filppula on the top line, replacing either Zetterberg or Holmstrom. But, that didn't help either.

"We didn't think they were in sync at all," Babcock said. "We played them with different people and moved people around and tried to make something happen. I don't know if they're just not driving through the middle of the ice the same way or (not) executing.

"It's not like we were hemmed in our zone. It's not like we weren't coming out with speed, but for whatever reason, whether it's Calgary deflected us out of the middle, they were not able to get to the net."

He doesn't believe it's a case of Calgary getting a better defensive matchup against that line with the last change at home.

It's particularly frustrating for Zetterberg, who doesn't have a point in the series, after returning from a 19-game absence due to an inflamed disc. He was good the first two games, generating chances and playing more physical than usual, but he's struggled since the series shifted to Calgary.

"We haven't created the same kind of chances we did in the first two games," Zetterberg said. "We have to find a way to get to the net and create some chances."

"I think they're playing them real tight, they're back-checking real hard on them, so they don't have the room to cut back and look for a third or fourth player who's there," Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "It's a matter of taking it more to the net."

"The way it works on our team, (Henrik) Zetterberg and (Pavel) Datsyuk, when they don't play well, they're still going to find a way to get themselves going, and the coach gives them that opportunity," Babcock said.

"You always want to produce and create some chances and I don't think we had two good games here (in Calgary). Actually, we had two real bad games,'' Zetterberg said. "I think we can still put more pucks on the net and get pucks through to (goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff).''

 

Henrik Leads Wings to a Game 5 Win over Flames

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, April 21, 2007

 

Henrik Zetterberg had two goals, including the game-winner, and and assist in the Detroit Red Wings huge 5-1 win against the Calgary Flames today at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, giving the Wings a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Zetterberg had been held without a point for the first four games of the series, and had begun to receive criticism from the media, despite having missed the last 19 games of the regular season with an inflamed disc in his lower back. Many were speculating that his timing was off after missing so many games, but he proved he has got it back today.

"The legs have been there all along. I don't think the timing was,” said Zetterberg.

It looked like it was when he scored his first goal on the power-play at 8:50 of the second period. Red Wings Captain Niklas Lidstrom passed the puck from the blue line on the left point to Zetterberg who was alone at the top of the right face-off circle. Henrik fired a one timer low on net, that went untouched as it went between the legs of both line-mate Tomas Holmstrom and Flames goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead. It ended up being Zetterberg’s first career playoff game-winner.

Henrik’s second goal of the game came 5:12 into the third period, also on the power-play. Pavel Datsyuk slipped a quick pass to Zetterberg cruising into the slot. He took the pass on his backhand and then wristed a snapshot past the glove of the Calgary goaltender. The goal made it a four-goal deficit and put the game out of reach for the Flames.

Hank’s assist came late in the third period, after Calgary made it a 4-1 game, on a power-play goal by Datsyuk. After carrying the puck into the offensive zone, Zetterberg sent a drop pass back to Lidstrom on the blue line, who fired a slap-shot off the end boards directly to Datsyuk waiting at the crease. He stuffed the puck into the net behind the sprawled Kiprusoff.

Today’s game was the first three-point playoff game in Zetterberg’s career. He now has 11 goals and 3 assists for 14 points in 27 playoff games.

 

Wings Need More Production from Best Forwards

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, April 27, 2007

 

As coach Mike Babcock is fond of saying, your best players must be your best players. To get past the San Jose Sharks in the second round, the Wings need more production from their top forwards -- Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Robert Lang and Todd Bertuzzi. After losing the series opener 2-0 Thursday, the Wings desperately need to win Game 2 this afternoon at Joe Louis Arena.

Ultimately, the Wings might go only as far as Zetterberg and Datsyuk take them.

Zetterberg has just three points (two goals, an assist) in seven playoff games, all coming in Game 5 vs. Calgary in the first round. Nobody expected him to be dominant after missing the last 19 games of the regular season with an inflamed disc. He's missed the last two practices with the flu, he insists, saying his back is not causing him any problems.

"You have to keep believing in yourself that you're able to score and just have a lot of patience,'' Zetterberg said.

 

Top Line Leads the Wings to Big Victory

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, April 28, 2007

 

Detroit Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock talked about the team needing Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to come up big when it matters most. Today it mattered. The Red Wings were in a “must win” situation down one game to none and facing a two game deficit heading to San Jose for games three and four if they lost today. It mattered a lot today. Today, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg came up big.

Zetterberg and Datsyuk seem to be having a harder time producing without linemate Tomas Holmstrom standing in front of the crease and blocking the view of the opposing net minder. For the first game of this series and most of the first period in game two, Babcock had replaced the injured Holmstrom (eye injury from high-sticking incident in Calgary series) with Kyle Calder. However, Calder has been ineffective and is rumored to possibly have a broken hand. Later in the period, Babcock moved Todd Bertuzzi to the top line and the trio seemed to be much better at moving the puck and getting shots on goal.

After falling behind 2-0 to the Sharks early in the first period of game two, Zetterberg got the Red Wings and the crowd back into the game when he skated in from the left face-off circle and threw a puck towards the net that deflected off of San Jose defenseman Kyle McLaren and past goalie Evgeni Nabakov. It was a fortunate bounce for Detroit, but Zetterberg was due, leading all players in the series with six shots a game.

"It was an ugly goal, but, you know, we need those, too. You have to find a way to get through on Nabokov and sometimes you have to do it from bad angles. I just had a little bit of luck.” said Zetterberg. Datsyuk and Bertuzzi assisted on the goal. It was Zetterberg's first goal against the Sharks since December 17th, 2003.

After a scoreless second period, Dan Cleary tied the game with a shorthanded goal just 1:23 into the third period, setting the stage for a huge come from behind win. Then, with just 1:34 remaining in regulation, Bertuzzi left the ice on a shift change and Mikael Samuelsson joined Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the attack at the Sharks end of the ice. Zetterberg battled McLaren behind San Jose’s net and around the end boards out to the left face off circle, where he sent a short pass to Samuelsson. Samuelsson fired a shot from inside the circle that hit Nabakov in the pad and bounced out in front of the crease. Datsyuk skated in alone from behind the net, picked up the rebound and patiently held the puck as he moved around the sprawled goalie. Datsyuk lifted a back-hander into the net for the game-winner.  

"(Samuelsson) was kind of open so I gave it to him. He made a good shot and Pav was there to put the rebound in the empty net. That's the kind of goals you have to do in the playoffs, because it's going to be tight and it's going to be close." said Zetterberg.

Both Datsyuk and Zetterberg had a goal and an assist in the victory. Henrik now has three goals and two assists and is a +1 (plus/minus) in eight playoff games this post-season. All of his points have come in just two crucial wins, game five against Calgary and today’s game against San Jose.

Zetterberg has now played in thirty career playoff games. In post season play he has twelve goals and four assists. Six of his goals came in last year’s firt-round loss to Edmonton. 

 

Zetterberg and Datsyuk Lift the Wings Again

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, May 6^th, 2007

 

After getting a a game-tying goal with just over thirty seconds left, and tying the series in overtime of game four in San Jose on Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings spotted the Sharks a one goal lead, but came up huge once more, coming from behind and defeating San Jose by a score of 4-1 last night at the Joe Louis Arena, and taking a 3-2 series lead.

When it looked like they weren’t playing their best hockey the Red Wings got another big game from their most talented players, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, who each had a goal and two assists. 

Having linemate Tomas Holmstrom back from an eye injury has helped the dynamic duo of Zetterberg and Datsyuk create a lot more offence against San Jose’s top line. It payed off 3:10 into the second period. Holmstrom patiently handled the puck in front of Shark’s goalie Evgeni Nabokov and attempted a reaching shot that came off the end of his stick balde and ended up being a perfect pass to Zetterberg, who was standing alone at the back door of Nabokov’s crease. Henrik lifted an easy forehand shot high into the back of the net to tie the game at one a piece.

Then with just 1:24 left in the second period, Datsuk raced into the San Jose zone chasing a loose puck towards the Shark’s net as Nabokov skated out towards him. The netminder won the race to the puck but hit Pavel’s stick with the puck as he attempted to clear it. Datsyuk took the blocked puck, skated around the stunned goalie, and scored the go-ahead tally into a wide-open net.

The contest was far from over, but San Jose began to play desperately and with more of a physical edge. They were trying to “send a message” by attempting to intimidate some of Detroit’s talented players with a little “goonery”. When Sharks defenseman Craig Rivet wrestled Zetterberg to the ice and was lying on top of him with his elbow in Zetterberg’s face, fellow Swede and linemate Tomas Holmstrom came to his aide. Homer coming to the defense of Hank was a symbol of the unity of the Wings top line and of the team over all. They are showing that they are not going to take getting pushed around.

In the third period the Sharks began to take more penalties, and the Wings took over the game. 3:46 into the period with the Wings on the power-play, Zetterberg controlled the puck behind the San Jose net and watched the play develop. Zata fed a quick pass to winger Mikael Samuelsson in the center of the right face-off circle. Samuelsson blasted a one-timer past Nabokov giving Detroit a two goal advantage.

Just a few minutes later, Sharks winger Mike Grier crashed the net and made contact with Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek. The Wings defended their goaltender and Zetterberg went after Marcel Goc, showing that he isn’t going to back down when challenged. On the ensuing power-play for goaltender interference on Grier, Zetterberg once again observes the action and slipped a pass from behind the net, through the crease and past three San Jose defenders to Holmstrom, alone in the slot. Homer knocked it into the net to make it 4-1 Detroit. The assist was Zetterberg’s second of the game, both on power-play goals.

Yesterday’s win was Henrik’s first career playoff game with two assists and second career playoff game with three points. The other was in game five of round one against Calgary. Zetterberg has four goals and four assists and is a +2 in eleven games this post-season. All eight of his points are in victories at home. He now has thirteen goals, six assists, and is a -4 (plus/minus) in 33 career playoff games.

 

How Swede!: Zetterberg, Holmstrom score in opening win

By Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News, May 12^th, 2007

 

The Red Wings won Game 1 against Anaheim at Joe Louis Arena Friday night, but they owe a big thanks to Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin for the victory.

The Wings won, 2-1, and on both goals, the puck deflected off Beauchemin, giving the Wings an early series lead.

"That's a freak thing that happens and tonight it happened to us," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.

Tomas Holmstrom was credited with the power-play goal at 15:06 of the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie and sending the Wings to a 1-0 series lead.

With Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf off for slashing, Nicklas Lidstrom fired a shot from the point that appeared to deflect off Beauchemin and past goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

"We're getting pucks to the net and that's what we want to do," Lidstrom said. "We got a lucky break on that one. I'm not sure how the puck went in. But we want to get pucks at the net."

The Wings had to kill off a Robert Lang hooking penalty at 16:41, but did so, as they did every Ducks power play during the evening.

The Wings killed seven Ducks power plays, including a 1:35 stretch of a two-man advantage in the first period as goalie Dominik Hasek (31 saves) starred.

"Dom shut the door and the penalty-killers battled," coach Mike Babcock said.

The Ducks enjoyed most of their quality scoring chances on the power play, but Hasek again was one of the best Red Wings.

"I know one mistake and we lose the game," said Hasek, who made 13 saves in the final period. "The last three minutes of the game I was exhausted. Maybe I was lucky, but sometimes that's how you win the game. It was a great defensive effort."

Hasek made a sprawling save on Getzlaf with Anaheim dominating play in the Wings zone with six minutes left in regulation and the score tied at 1.

"Dom was outstanding," Babcock said.

Henrik Zetterberg (power play) and Ducks forward Chris Kunitz traded earlier goals.

Anaheim tied the score at 1 on a goal by Kunitz (Ferris State) at 1:35 of the third period.

Kunitz went in 2-on-2 with Getzlaf -- after Getzlaf received a nice pass from Scott Niedermayer heading into the zone with speed -- and fired a shot that beat Hasek on the far side.

The goal was the first of the playoffs for Kunitz.

For Hasek, it was rare slip over the last three games. It was the first goal he allowed in 156 minutes, 42 seconds. He shut out San Jose in the series-clinching Game 6, and over the final 2 1/2 periods of Game 5.

"What can you say about Dom?" forward Kris Draper said. "Every time we needed it, he came up with a big save."

Zetterberg scored a power-play goal at 3:44 of the first, giving him his fifth goal of the playoffs and the Wings a 1-0 lead they maintained most of the game.

The Wings were on the power play when Ducks defenseman Joe DiPenta was called for holding Dan Cleary.

Zetterberg took a pass from Pavel Datsyuk in the low circle and fired a shot that deflected off Beauchemin. The puck went off Beauchemin's shin and squirted through Giguere.

The Ducks enjoyed three power plays in the first period, including the two-man advantage not long after Zetterberg's goal, but couldn't put a puck past Hasek.

With Johan Franzen (holding at 5:03) and Kris Draper (holding, 5:28) in the box, the Ducks had several point-blank shots at Hasek but couldn't convert.

"Those things usually come back to bite you," Carlyle said.

 

Separating Duo is Deadly for Ducks, Pavel and Henrik Center Other Lines

By Helene St. James, Free Press, May 17^th, 2007

 

One of the fun things to do around the Red Wings is to watch Henrik Zetterberg's reaction when he's asked why he and Pavel Datsyuk have such good chemistry together. Zetterberg has fielded the query so many times he'd have done well to tape his first reply and simply reuse it.

Now he appears to be in for a respite. The Wings take a 2-1 lead into tonight's Game 4 against Western Conference final opponent Anaheim thanks in no small part to having split up the dynamic duo that is Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

The Wings might have played as close to a flawless playoff game as humanly possible in Game 3, when they used four new line combinations to generate offense five-on-five and demolished the Ducks, 5-0. The two key new groups were formed by separating Datsyuk and Zetterberg for the first time during the 2007 playoffs, allowing both to play at their natural center position.

Datsyuk played between wingers Valtteri Filppula and Tomas Holmstrom, and Zetterberg centered an all-Swedish line with Mikael Samuelsson and Johan Franzen.

"I think we brought different looks at them with Pavel and Hank being split up," Cleary said. "When you've got that 1-2 punch, there are only so many times Sammy Pahlsson can get on the ice. When you have the ability to put Hank and Pav on two separate lines, it brings a huge challenge to the other team, it really does. Both are so dynamic and make everybody else around them better."

Pahlsson is Anaheim's top shut-down center, the guy usually out against star forwards, along with either defenseman Chris Pronger or Scott Niedermayer.

With Pronger suspended tonight for his Game 3 hit on Holmstrom, Niedermayer's job is going to be even tougher.

"They're tremendously offensively talented players," Niedermayer said of Datsyuk and Zetterberg. "When they're out there, we have to do a job with six guys -- with the goalie and the five guys that are out there. We have to play good, solid defense."

In Game 3, the Wings also got off to their best start in the series, scoring two goals, one from Zetterberg's line and another on a power play, to take a 2-0 lead into the second period.

 

How long until Zetterberg is considered the NHL's best?

By Scott Burnside, ESPN.com, May 22, 2007

 

Three years ago, former NHL netminder Darren Pang was talking to boyhood friend Steve Yzerman.

Pang asked about the new kid from Sweden, Henrik Zetterberg, and was more than a little surprised to hear Yzerman rave about the young man.

"He told me he would be a better all-round player than Peter Forsberg," Pang told ESPN.com during the Western Conference finals between Detroit and Anaheim.

That would be Peter Forsberg, Hart Trophy winner, Stanley Cup winner, Olympic gold medalist and a player considered among the top forwards anywhere, anyplace in the hockey world when in his prime.

Which begs the question: How close is Zetterberg to becoming the best player in the NHL?

As the Wings prepare for a win-or-go-home Game 6 against the Ducks on Tuesday night, it makes for interesting water-cooler discussion.

Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are both younger and at different stages of their development. There's Joe Thornton, Vincent Lecavalier, Jaromir Jagr.

But having grown up in the Detroit system, having learned from players such as Yzerman, Zetterberg, 26, quietly has become one of those players around whom you could build not only an offense but a winner.

"He is a complete two-way player and his play in all areas of the game embodies the style of the Red Wings, much like Steve Yzerman. When Henrik does all the things which are hard and not flashy but extremely important to winning, it sets the tone for the Red Wings. He is a brilliant player in all aspects and combined with his versatility and competitive spirit, he is a top player," said former Calgary GM Craig Button, now a top scout with the Maple Leafs.

"He would be a guy to build around; he makes others better. That is a rare trait that gives a team glue," one Western Conference scout told ESPN.com this week. "His Red Wings pedigree is going to stick with him no matter where he plays later. So, he goes up high on the list [of top players]."

At 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, Zetterberg is deceptively strong and difficult to knock off the puck, and his foot speed has allowed him to become a sterling defensive player.

Pang believes Zetterberg's two-way game could earn him a Frank J. Selke Award, "any given year, along with an MVP award."

Detroit GM Ken Holland, while acknowledging his obvious bias, said that among the game's elite offensive players, Zetterberg has evolved very quickly into a true team player.

"I think he's the best two-way player in the NHL," Holland said this week. "He's just gotten better and better and better. He has tremendous determination. He's got a big heart. He's got wonderful ability."

Yes, Zetterberg's talents are impressive. But when juxtaposed against the game's finest players -- Crosby, Ovechkin, Lecavalier, Thornton et al -- there is one stunning, even mind-boggling difference. Every one of those players was a first or second overall pick in the entry draft. All were anointed franchise players from the time they were teens.

Zetterberg?

Well, let's just put it this way. Whatever other debate might rage regarding his talent, it's safe to say Zetterberg is the finest seventh-round draft pick. Ever.

At the 1999 draft, 209 players were selected before the Red Wings chose Zetterberg. What does that mean? By the time the seventh round of the NHL draft rolls around, the stands are empty and those still on hand are often asleep. Teams sometimes pick players in the seventh round because they feel sorry for them sitting in the stands. Any drama is gone because so few of these players will have any impact in the NHL.

Was Zetterberg sitting by his phone waiting for the draft call?

He laughs.

"It wasn't a big thing for me," he said. "I wasn't thinking about it at all at the time. Actually, I was on vacation with my parents, so I didn't think about it at all."

So, how did this happen?

Holland was frank -- there was a little bit of luck involved, plus more than a little hockey acumen provided by European scout Hakan Andersson and assistant GM Jim Nill. Andersson first stumbled on the shifty, undersized Zetterberg at a tournament in Northern Finland. Zetterberg was still in his teens, and Andersson was looking at another player, one Nill graciously declines to identify.

"But there was this little Zetterberg guy who always seems to have the puck," Nill recalled Monday.

So, they put the name in their back pocket. Figuring that most other teams hadn't seen Zetterberg, they bided their time and nabbed him with the 210th pick.

In 2001, Zetterberg was named rookie of the year in the Swedish elite league. The next season, he was named player of the year. By the time the 2002 Olympics rolled around, Zetterberg had filled out (he is now 30 pounds heavier than when Andersson first saw him play) and his game had evolved to the point that many people considered him the finest player not playing in the NHL.

"That's when they [the Red Wings] knew they had a diamond in the rough," Pang said.

Zetterberg, who grew up in a coastal town about four hours north of Stockholm, admitted his childhood dreams didn't necessarily include the NHL.

"When you were young -- 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 -- the national team is a bigger goal than the NHL. That's the only games that you see," Zetterberg said. "The NHL games are in the middle of the night that you don't see that much. But I think maybe it's a little bit different now. The kids growing up now, I think the exposure is a little bit better for the NHL."

Even after he'd been drafted, he didn't think too much about an NHL career. Not until the Salt Lake City Olympics. Although he'd played with and against NHL players at the World Championship, this was an entirely different stage.

"It's not the same thing as the Olympics," Zetterberg said. "I remember my first shift was against Eric Lindros. I'll never forget that."

Success at the highest levels of the NHL is all about degrees or passing certain thresholds. After Zetterberg broke out last season (85 points in 77 games), the question was whether he could produce in the playoffs. Although the Wings were upset in the first round by Edmonton, Zetterberg acquitted himself with six goals in six games.

This season, with Yzerman retiring and Brendan Shanahan signing with the New York Rangers, Zetterberg felt more pressure to carry an even greater load. He compiled 68 points in 63 games before suffering a back injury that cost him the last 19 games of the regular season. At the time of the injury, there were many who believed Zetterberg was the best forward in the game.

This spring, coming straight off the back injury to the emotionally charged world of the playoffs, Zetterberg continues to get better. He is third on the team in scoring with 12 points in 17 games and is averaging 22:32 minutes a night in ice time. The Wings' hopes of advancing rest in part on Zetterberg's ability to help them get there.

"He's been really good ever since he got over here, and a couple of years before in Sweden. He's kind of a late bloomer," said countryman Samuel Pahlsson, who grew up not far from Zetterberg's home and is one of the Ducks' top defensive players. "He's always been really skilled and really smart. Makes the right decisions all the time.

"He's tough. He doesn't put himself in vulnerable situations. You try to be on him, try to hit him. But it's hard because he doesn't put himself in a bad situation."

Zetterberg, naturally, is more concerned with the here and now than where he has come from.

"Of course, I'm happy to be where I am right now and having a chance to play for the Red Wings and have a chance to be here for a long time" Zetterberg said. "But also, it's the Stanley Cup. You want to win. I still have that left, and that's what I'm going for now, and when I get that, I'm going to be a little more satisfied."

 

Wings Need Zetterberg, Datsyuk to Step Up

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, Tuesday, May 22, 2007

 

Tomas Holmstrom, Robert Lang, Johan Franzen, Dan Cleary, Todd Bertuzzi and Valtteri Filppula have delivered big goals on the road for the Detroit Red Wings in these playoffs.

Conspicuously missing from that list are Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, who have combined for no goals and four assists in eight road playoff games. Sooner or later, the Wings are going to need one of these star forwards to score a goal or two away from home. Tonight would be a good time, with the Wings facing elimination in Game 6 against Anaheim in the Western Conference finals.

"It's a big game and we want to be there and really contribute,'' Zetterberg said.

It's not that the pair has played poorly on the road. They've generated chances. They rank first (Zetterberg with 74) and second (Datsyuk with 62) in the NHL in shots on goal in the playoffs, but they haven't been able to finish on the road. Part of the problem is teams, with the last line change at home, have been able to match their best defensive players against them. That's why Wings coach Mike Babcock put Zetterberg and Datsyuk on separate lines in Games 3 and 4 against the Ducks.

"It's been creating a problem, point-wise,'' Zetterberg said. "Both me and Pavel haven't been able to produce the same amount of points as we have at home. But, at the same time, other players have stepped up and scored the goals.''

The duo has been dominant at home, combining for 11 goals and 11 assists in nine games.

"It's not from a lack of effort or not working hard,'' Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "I think they're skating real hard, they're trying to create chances. I think they can try to get some more shots through. That can always help you when you're shooting the puck more. That's going to help your teammates, too.''

 

Wings come on strong, but fall short in saving season

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, Wednesday, May 23, 2007

 

The third period of their previous game lasted one minute too long for the Detroit Red Wings. On Tuesday, one more minute could have made a world of difference.

Down and out after two periods, trailing by three goals, the Wings made a tremendous a comeback with their season on the line. It fell just short.

The Anaheim Ducks hung on for a 4-3 victory in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals at the Honda Center and advanced to the Stanley Cup finals against the Ottawa Senators. The Wings, reaching the third round for the first time in five years, felt they gave it their all but were left to lament opportunities squandered in previous games of the series.

"It's a huge disappointment losing the way we did," Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "We had a great chance to be up 3-2 (in the series) coming out here and we blew that (with a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 5 Sunday). And in the first two periods tonight we didn't play as well as we wanted to. In the third we rallied, but four goals were too much to catch up to."

Did they ever make it interesting, though. Trailing 3-0, Henrik Zetterberg scored at 3:15 of the third period to launch the rally. Samuel Pahlsson responded by capping a three-on-two break banging in a rebound at 5:54 to give the Ducks back their three-goal lead.

But the Wings kept coming, and Anaheim appeared on the verge of self-destructing, with defensive miscues, tentative play and bad penalties. Detroit's power play, which had struggled the first two periods (0-for-4, one shot), suddenly sprang to life. Pavel Datsyuk scored at 10:08 by redirecting a pass from Lidstrom past goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Datsyuk scored another power-play goal with 3:04 remaining in regulation.

The Wings outshot the Ducks 16-3 in the third period and had several good chances to tie it. But, time ran out.

"When you're down three goals you just have to find all the reserve you can to turn it around," Zetterberg said. "We knew we played strong in the third period the whole year, we just had to keep going. We put real good effort in there ? but it wasn't enough."

"It was a fight and a battle," Wings center Kris Draper said. "That third period, we had some great opportunities but couldn't get that fourth one to tie it up. Everyone battled hard. It's tough, we did a lot of good things in this series, but the bottom line is getting wins."

The Ducks dominated the first two periods, outshooting the Wings 26-13. Rob Niedermayer scored a shorthanded goal at 3:51 of the first period and Corey Perry (even strength at 9:52) and Ryan Getzlaf (power play at 18:33) added second-period goals to seemingly put the game out of reach.

They were very aggressive around the net and scored all their goals from rebounds or deflections," Wings goalie Dominik Hasek said. "When you fall behind 3-0 after two periods it's hard to come back, but we were still fighting. It's sad to lose that game and go home."

Hasek said after the game that he'd like to come back next season but will take a few weeks to decide on his future. Detroit forward Todd Bertuzzi said the same about his future.

"It's frustrating, it's one of those things that got away. We're a team I feel should have won," Bertuzzi said. "Obviously, you have to give them credit, they hung in there and battled. We were right there, that's the sad thing about it.

"It's a super letdown, we know we easily could have advanced."

The Wings felt they deserved a better fate. They led the series 2-1 and believe they outplayed the Ducks in Games 4 and 5 but had nothing to show for it.

"There's two games that stick out that we should have won and we didn't win them," Bertuzzi said.

Game 5, when Anaheim scored on a deflection to tie it in the final minute of regulation and won in overtime on a horrible turnover, continued to stick in their craw.

"One deflection in Game 5 and everything could be different," Hasek said. "But, that's the game."

 

 

After placing Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk on separate lines in Games 3 and 4 so that Anaheim couldn't focus its checking line on both stars, Wings coach Mike Babcock might elect to reunite his top line of Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Holmstrom at home, where he can better control the matchups.

The inflamed disc in Henrik Zetterberg's back never completely healed but Holland said he won't need surgery, just time off.

Henrik Zetterberg: He was arguably the best two-way player in the league before an inflamed disc idled him for the last 19 games of the season. He got stronger as the playoffs progressed but his back still wasn't close to 100 percent. He'll be a dominant player for the next 10 years or so.

Grades: A/A-

Said Henrik Zetterberg: "They're going to the finals, so it's tough to say we were the better team.''  May 24^th

"We have a great mix on this team and the future looks real bright,'' forward Henrik Zetterberg said. "Some players have been here for a few years and still got a lot of years in them and we have some players in (AHL affiliate) Grand Rapids coming up