Zetterberg Stands Up to Malkin, Gets Five-for-Fighting

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, May 31, 2009

 

Pittsburgh Penguins star forward (not named Sidney Crosby) Evgeni Malkin, let frustration get the better of him, and Detroit Red Wings star forward (one of many) just got pissed.

 

With only 19 seconds remaining in regulation at the end of the Wings 3-1 win over the Pens, Pittsburgh winger Maxim Talbot spears goaltender Chris Osgood with his stick after Osgood makes a save on a shot by Malkin. Zetterberg is at the net and gives Talbot a two-handed shove.

 

Malkin (6’3”, 195 lb, 22 years old) then skates around behind the net and delivers a left-handed punch to (5’11”, 195 lb, 28 years old) Zetterberg’s face. Malkin then goes nuts, swings his stick and strikes Zetterberg in the back and then the head as Zetterberg attempts to duck the assault. Zetterberg turns and grabs Malkin by the jersey, and Malkin finally drops his weapon. The two exchange a few blows with gloves on before Malkin’s linemate Miroslav Satan lends a hand by grabbing him from behind, allowing Malkin to pull Zetterberg’s jersey over his head and land a few undefended punches. As soon as Zetterberg is free from Satan and his own jersey he swings Malkin to his knees, bends him over, and commences to landing some uppercuts. Of course, that’s when the linesman decides to step in. Clearly enraged, Z even gets a few jabs into the side of the linesman.

 

If you count the initial cheapshot to the face while the official is holding Zetterberg, plus the two swings of the stick at Zetterberg’s back and head, plus Satan holding Zetterberg, plus the linesman jumping in…then it looks like Malkin got the better of Henrik. If you look objectively at the brief moments where no one was interfering and the two were face-to-face like men, than it appears Zetterberg strikes more.

 

VIDEO: You be the judge.

 

It’s an unprovoked attack and an all-around dirty “play” by Malkin. For it, he earned a 2 minute instigator penalty, a 5 minute fighting major, and a 10 minute game misconduct. Zetterberg got 5 for fighting for his part in the fracas. Its Hank’s first ever fighting major in over six seasons of playing in the NHL, and the most penalty minutes he has ever earned in a game.

 

After the game, Zetterberg said,” I think Talbot goes after Ozzie. I saw Malkin come around the net and we started scrumming.”

 

“I think in the playoffs and finals like this, there is a lot of emotions, a lot of feelings. When you get scrums that's the way it is. It should be a lot of feelings, and nothing more than that," stated the usually gentlemanly Swede.

 

Way to take the highroad and not call out an opponent for blatant goonery, Z!

 

As for Malkin’s punishment, here’s the good part. The NHL rule book states:

 

 “A player who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation in the final five (5) minutes of regulation time or at any time in overtime, shall be assessed an instigator minor penalty, a major for fighting, a ten minute misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension. The length of suspension will double for each subsequent offense. In addition, the player's coach shall be fined $10,000 -- a fine that will double for each subsequent incident.”

 

Almost immediately the NHL issued this statement:

 

Hockey League Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell issued the following statement regarding the instigator penalty assessed to Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin at 19:41 of the third period of tonight’s Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final:

Rule 47.22 states: "A player who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation in the final five minutes or at any time in overtime shall be suspended for one game, pending a review of the incident.  The director of hockey operations will review every such incident and may rescind the suspension based on a number of criteria. The criteria for the review shall include, but not be limited to, the score, previous incidents, etc..." 

Following that review, Campbell said: "None of the criteria in this rule applied in this situation. Suspensions are applied under this rule when a team attempts to send a message in the last five minutes by having a player instigate a fight.  A suspension could also be applied when a player seeks retribution for a prior incident.  Neither was the case here and therefore the one game suspension is rescinded."
 
NHL Hockey Operations also determined that Malkin should have been assessed a game misconduct for not having his jersey tied down.

 

Convenient.

 

Z vs Sid, Game 1

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, May 30, 2009

 

All the media hype prior to game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins was about how much more experienced Sidney Crosby is this year and how much better his is playing in these playoffs. The fact is, until today (and just like in last years post-season), Crosby hadn’t run into a forward that can shut him down like Henrik Zetterberg.

 

Tonight, Z held Sid the kid (playoff scoring leader with 28 points) off of the scoresheet. Not only that, but Zetterberg was a +1 against Crosby’s line on a goal by Wing’s forward Johan Franzen. Assist for Z, -1 for Sidney. Advantage Detroit.

 

Franzen’s momentum swinging and eventual game-winning tally came with less than a minute remaining in the second period with the game tied at one each. Zetterberg stole a clearing attempt by Penguin’s winger Bill Guerin and centered the puck to Franzen, who finished the play off of a rebound. 

 

After taking a 2-1 lead into the third period, the Red Wing’s total team defense went to work limiting Pittsburgh’s offensive chances. Zetterberg’s efforts held Crosby to just 2 shots-on-goal in the entire game. Even more impressive, Z dominated in the face off circle, winning 15 of 20 draws. Crosby was an abysmal 6 of 20. In a game where puck possession counts, Zetterberg was a difference maker tonight, just like last year.

 

Henrik’s assist was his 10^th of the playoffs, tying him for 8^th amongst NHL leaders. With 9 goals (6^th place), he is 5^th in post-season points with 19 total through 17 games. He is a +11, 3^rd best behind teammate Dan Cleary (+17) and Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins (+12).

 

In 7 total Stanley Cup Finals games against Pittsburgh (6 last year), Zetterberg has 7 points (2 goals, 2 assists) and is a +2.

 

Zetterberg helped slow down the Penguins last season; can he do it again?

By Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News, May 30, 2009

 

Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch didn't shy away from mentioning Henrik Zetterberg after the Wings' Finals victory over the Penguins last season.

Ilitch made a point of making sure everyone knew how well Zetterberg played. He debunked a myth with his gritty and tenacious play while dogging Penguins star Sidney Crosby .

"I was so proud," Ilitch said after the Wings clinched the Cup. "He went toe-to-toe with Sidney Crosby and showed the grit and toughness of European players."

Coach Mike Babcock wasn't surprised by Zetterberg's performance, which earned Zetterberg the Conn Smythe trophy (playoff MVP).

"I've always believed that when you line him (Zetterberg) up against a guy in a series, he'll wear him out. And, to me, that's leadership," Babcock said. "I'm proud to be his coach. He's made me a better coach and he's made his teammates better as well."

Will it happen again? Can Zetterberg stifle Crosby and/or Evgeni Malkin once more? The Penguins stars are tied for the playoff scoring lead (28 points).

Zetterberg complimented both.

• Crosby: "A complete package."

• Malkin: "A real skilled big body, strong on his skates and stick. You have to be on the right side of him."

Zetterberg could've been an unrestricted free agent this summer. He easily would've been one of the best players available.

But signing a 12-year, $73 million contract in January ended that possibility.

"We watched him grow from prospect to one of the best two-way players in the game," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "Henrik wanted to be a Red Wing for life and we wanted to keep him."

 

Henrik Zetterberg eager for challenge of slowing Penguins' Sidney Crosby again

By Graham Couch, Kalamazoo Gazette, May 30, 2009

 

It was a defining moment in last year's Stanley Cup finals: one stick check that perhaps swung the series and slowed the growing legend of hockey's chosen one.

Henrik Zetterberg, as his Red Wings teammates said "single-handedly" killed Pittsburgh's 1 minute, 26 second, two-man advantage late in the third period of a 2-1 Game 4 win. Most notably, he locked up Sidney Crosby's stick near the left post with a wide-open net in front of him.

Crosby, then 20, lost his cool, confronting Zetterberg at the game's end. The Wings grabbed a 3-1 series lead.

Crosby felt the Cup and his first chance at greatness slipping away.

"You dream your whole life to be in that position and you work so hard and, right at that moment, you never know if you're going to get another chance," he said Friday.

He will have a chance beginning tonight -- at the Cup and for redemption in his matchup with last spring's nemesis.

"Usually when you're playing a matchup, for me personally, you see a more defensive guy who's not quite as dangerous offensively, but he's proven he's strong at both ends," Crosby said of Zetterberg, who broke a Red Wings' playoff record with 24 points last year.

In the long run, having been taken to school a few times by the eventual MVP might be beneficial for Crosby. With 28 points in these playoffs, teammates say he is playing the best hockey of his short career.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero said Crosby also has figured out that leadership is not just about what you say.

"He's grown into that," Shero said. " It's a natural progression."

Said teammate Maxime Talbot: "I think the main thing for Sid was emotional. You know, he's a real emotional guy. Losing that Cup and losing that finals was terrible, obviously, for everyone. But for him, he took it a little bit more to heart. He doesn't want to have that feeling again, that's for sure. But he learned from that. He learned from the experience. He learned from players like Zetterberg and (Pavel) Datsyuk. Detroit's a great team, but Sid learned from that, too."

Sid the Kid's maturation hasn't gone unnoticed by the Red Wings, Zetterberg included, though, they didn't see the 2008 version of Crosby as being much less.

"Last year, we played a lot of minutes against each other, and it was for sure a challenge," said Zetterberg, who, like Crosby, finished the '08 finals with six points and two goals. "If it's going to end up being that this year, I'm looking forward to it.

"I think he has the complete package now. He's scoring goals, making plays and he's working hard on both ends of the ice. You know, he's their leader. ... If you watch the highlights, he's been scoring some goals."

Fourteen of them in the playoffs so far.

Zetterberg is not struggling, either, with 18 points and nine goals in 16 games.

"I think Hank is the best two-way player in the game," Detroit's Niklas Kronwall said. "He was last year, too. It's not like he's done it once or twice. He keeps doing it over and over again, regardless who he matches up against. For him to try to eliminate the other team's best player is the key matchup."

Detroit coach Mike Babcock said the one-on-one battle between the two might be as much media hype as it is substantive -- because, in fact last year there were often two players with an eye (or hip) on Crosby -- but he applauded the Round 2 story line.

"Crosby is the face of the league," Babcock said. "Zetterberg, if he was from North America, would be more so that way. They're both dynamic players and people, and good-looking kids. Easy to sell."

Especially with the following prediction.

"If they go head-to-head for a long time, if it goes six or seven games, you know there's going to be some bad blood," Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom said.

 

Cups Are the Big Parts of Zetterberg's Dreams

By Larry Wigge, NHL.com, May 29th, 2009

 

Henrik Zetterberg is shifty. He's skilled. He's swift. He's solid and accountable at both ends of the rink. And, oh yes, most of all, Zetterberg is very, very smart ... and that means he wants to win more Stanley Cups.

In preparing for Game 1 of this year's Stanley Cup Final on Saturday in Detroit, the Njurunda, Sweden, native showed off his memory as well when asked about something he said last spring after he scored the winning goal in Game 6 in Pittsburgh and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP, helping the Red Wings win their fourth Cup in 11 years.

"Yeah, I think I said, 'I've won a gold medal and a Stanley Cup. The only thing left is for me to win a Swedish Elite League title.' Is that what you're thinking about?" Zetterberg said.

Exactly.

After pausing for a second or two, he continued, "But I think I also said, 'That will come sometime after I'm finished winning a couple more of these.'"

Zetterberg showed off his quick wit, when he added, "I guess I changed that game plan a little when I signed that new (12-year) contract. It's going to be hard to win that Swedish Elite title, isn't it?

"But then, if Cheli (Chris Chelios) can play at 46, maybe I could still complete that part of my dream in Sweden when I'm in my 40s."

Clearly, Zetterberg's prime concern now is the potential of having to neutralize the one-two up-the-middle punch of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for the second-straight year in the Final.

Easier said than done?

"They are two of the best players in the world. Strong. Skilled. Very productive," Zetterberg said. "I think they'll be extra excited about trying to face us again. They'll be a handful the way they've been playing."

But Zetterberg feels he learned how to be better after playing in his first Stanley Cup Final last year.

"I'm more confident, definitely," he said. "I'm ready, no matter what assignment my line gets. I look forward to the challenge."

And he welcomed that challenge on the world stage last year. Zetterberg's 2 goals and 4 assists in the six-game Final against Pittsburgh gave him 27 points in the playoffs. That enabled him to break the club record of 24 previously shared by Sergei Fedorov (1995) and Steve Yzerman (1998). The 27 points also tied him with Crosby for the League playoff high.

But the brilliance of Zetterberg is that he can do so many things to help the Red Wings win.

"The first thing on my mind is that great players aren't judged on one play, one series or even one full season or career performance. It's all about lifting the Stanley Cup ... one time, two times, whatever," Zetterberg said. "That's all that I really wanted since I saw my first Stanley Cup Final when I was 13 or 14. When I saw the greatest players in the world celebrate winning by raising the Cup high into the air, I knew it was something I wanted to do.

"To me this is a defining moment for anyone who strives to be the best. And doing it with this group of guys, battling through four series, was real special."

Still, there was another side of this brilliant center's game that didn't go without notice. For most of the six-game series, he was playing head-up against Crosby, who was not nearly as productive as he had been earlier in the playoffs. The exclamation point in the series for Zetterberg came during a tense 1:27 span late in the third period of Game 4 with Detroit holding on to a 2-1 lead and the Penguins pressing to win a second-straight game.

In those important seconds, Zetterberg made three individual plays, the kind that don't show up on the scoresheet -- none more crucial than one on what looked like a sure goal by Crosby, waiting to push the puck into the net while stationed at the edge of the crease. But Zetterberg first reached to get his stick on the cross-crease pass, then used his soccer upbringing to kick the puck out of harm's way. In that same brilliant sequence, Zetterberg blocked a shot and lugged the puck for almost 15 seconds to kill valuable time.

In other words, Zetterberg did it all. But that’s nothing new to anyone who watches him play.

 

Z Strikes Twice on Powerplays

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, May 25, 2009

 

Henrik Zetterberg scored two powerplay goals and the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1 in game 4 of the Western Conference Finals last night. Detroit has a 3-1 series lead.

 

Z’s first powerplay goal was at the 7:42 mark of the 2^nd period with the Red Wings already dominating by a score of 4-1. Chicago’s starting goalie Cristobal Huet had already been pulled, and rookie netminder Cory Crawford was in his place. Zetterberg took a pass down low near the crease from defenseman Brain Rafalski. Z redirected the pass from skate to stick and backhanded a shot up and over the shoulder of Crawford on the near side of the net.

The goal moved Zetterberg past Alex Delvecchio for 8th place amongst All-time Red Wings Playoff Goal Scorers, with 36 career playoff goals in 77 games.

Zetterberg scored a similar goal, again on the powerplay, just over halfway through the 3^rd period to make it a 6-1 game.

With the two goals, Henrik has 3 goals, an assist, 4 points, and is a +3 in 4 games this series against the Hawks. Zetterberg now has 9 goals (5^th in the NHL), 9 assists (11^th), 18 points (5^th), and is a +11 (3^rd) in 15 games in the playoffs.

 

And after last nights game, Z has 37 career playoff goals, 33 assists, and 70 career points, just 4 points behind Norm Ullman and Brendan Shanahan on the Red Wings all-time playoff scoring leaders list.

Aspiring Filmmaker Promoting Funny Zetterberg Look-alike Commercials

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, (UPDATED) May 20, 2009

Native Detroiter and lifelong Red Wings fan, Greg Deliso, is an aspiring filmmaker and has his own production site, www.munroviapictures.com. One day while watching a Wings game, Deliso realized his actor friend, Jakob Hawkins, looked a lot like the Swedish star forward, Henrik Zetterberg.

It wasn’t long before the two were inspired to create a series of funny commercials about a pseudo-Henrik who goes about his day-to-day life, only as a Zetterberg double, decked out in full hockey equipment. Current spots include "Henrik" going for a job interview with a hockey card/resume, fighting pollution, and getting a guitar lesson.  Several other adventures are planned for the future.

There is a special version online now that was created just for the playoffs, in which

Henrik Zetterberg gets ready for the next round.

I instantly loved the video and found the entire idea it to be extremely funny. So, I asked Greg if he and Jakob would consider doing a

commercial for Zetterbergfan.com, and they were excited about the opportunity.

In the latest version, “Henrik” discovers Zetterbergfan.com, learns some new facts, and even says I have a “man crush”, which is a reaction I get from a lot of people when they learn about my site.

So enjoy the videos, check out more of Greg’s productions at www.munroviapictures.com, and hopefully we will be seeing more of his great ideas on the NHL network, Versus, or NHL.com soon! 

Jakob Hawkin's Take:

OK. So here’s the deal. A few months ago my friend Greg (Deliso), a Detroit native, and I were sitting around, hanging out when he remarked how much I really look like Henrik Zetterberg, star forward of the Detroit Red Wings. I had heard this a few times before but neither of us had really put much thought into it. About a week or so later, I had an idea while riding the subway. You see, Greg and I both live in NYC, I’m an actor and he’s a filmmaker. It dawned on me that we should shoot something with me as Zetterberg…

The more the two of us talked, the more we figured out that we both had problems with the current NHL marketing campaign, and who better to come up with some new commercials than us. So, we set off scripting a series of funny commercials, storyboarding them with artist friends of ours, putting together presentation packets, and then shooting and editing several commercials. We created an entire advertising campaign for NHL. Once we had all of our stuff put together we realized that we needed to get our stuff to them…

Well, the first part turned out to be the easy part. Using just about every connection we had, we ended up getting the material to a few people who said they would “pass it along” at the NHL. Well, as many of us know, rarely does this make for a sure bet.

After a few weeks, we again came to another realization. If you want to get someone’s attention, it’s a lot easier if you have a thousand, or ten thousand, or a hundred thousand people with you.

SO HERE WE ARE, we want to bring it to the people. LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE! If the people think it works, then a message will get sent to the NHL that IT DOES WORK!

This is our first video made specifically for the playoff run to the Stanley Cup.

The concept involves a hapless Zetterberg doppelganger going about his daily life in hockey gear. YES, FULL UNIFORM! He eats, sleeps, and bathes like this. The follow up commercials we are planning to release soon include going on a job interview, fighting pollution, taking a guitar lesson and many more to come. With a little help, we will be able to show the NHL the full scope of our campaign which goes far beyond just Zetterberg and the Redwings.

This is us, the little guy, average Joe, David. Not trying to take down Goliath, but just trying to let him know that we are here. That sometimes to find out what the people want, you should just go to the people. We hockey fans know what we like. Let's show em' what we want. Pass this around, and let every hockey fan you know gets some kicks...

Go Zetterberg! Go Red Wings! Go HOCKEY!

 

Zetterberg isn't about to Buck Tradition,

Gets it Done Defensively

By Bob Wojnowski, Detroit News, May 19, 2009

 

He could've just been the fancy-goal guy. He has the speed and skill and the zippy Swedish name, plenty of ingredients to make a nice little living in the NHL.

So, um, why does Henrik Zetterberg take such glee in back-checking the puffy pads off the other team's best players? Why, with all that starry ability, is Zetterberg so willing to do the dirty work?

He chuckles because the answer is obvious, although not to everyone. It bears repeating, with the Red Wings in the Western Conference finals and the Blackhawks touting the next batch of rising stars in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, who skated smack into Zetterberg's line in Game 1.

In Detroit, you play defense or you don't play. It's that simple, from Scotty Bowman to Mike Babcock, from Steve Yzerman to Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. That's why, when we constantly question why someone isn't scoring, and hey, what's the problem fellas, this is what the Wings hear: Blablablablabla (loosely translated).

"You don't pay that much attention to what the critics say," Zetterberg said. "You can contribute so much more than just scoring goals. When you play against a really good offensive line, you will create turnovers and get your chances too. The key is playing your defense first. As for goals, it doesn't really matter individually."

It takes work

That's easy for an average hockey player to say. It has to be tougher for someone as talented as Zetterberg.

Back-checking and puck-poking don't make the highlights. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kane make the highlights. And honest to goodness, that's perfectly fine with Zetterberg, who scores a fair share of goals, 31 in the regular season. Last we checked, he did win the Conn Smythe Trophy and tie a team record with 13 goals in the Wings' Stanley Cup run last spring.

Zetterberg is flashing the form again that makes him one of hockey's top two-way stars, and a thoroughly underrated leader. In the 5-2 victory in Game 1, he helped check the giddiness out of Kane's line, boosted by the Wings' terrific defense pairing of Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski. Zetterberg has seven goals in these playoffs, although three were empty-netters.

"The fact that Z relishes shutting down the other teams' top lines, when almost every other team in the league will put a defensive centerman in that role, that says a lot about him," Cleary said. "He's not concerned about numbers. He loves the challenge, and we have to follow. I mean, if Pavs and Z do it, who is anyone else not to do it?"

Zetterberg's line was the difference the other night and you could see it on the score sheet, and also in the faces of Kane and Toews. Kane was held without a shot for the fourth time all season, and he sounded like a 20-year-old discovering a different level of hockey. He admitted he wasn't used to an opponent putting someone as good as Zetterberg against his line.

That's the hidden element of the Wings -- by demanding defense and putting their best on the other team's best, they can force the opponent to play defense at the expense of offense. The thing is, it only works if your best buy into it.

Zetterberg, 28, bought into it quickly, taking ample notes on team-first humility from Yzerman.

"It comes from the top, and Stevie was the perfect example -- he always took care of his own end first," Zetterberg said. "The first year here, you don't get an opportunity to play offense. You start on the defense and earn your minutes that way."

It's one thing for a team to preach defense. It's another thing to reward it. Forwards such as Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby have lasted all these years because they do it. Yzerman won all those years because he committed to it. Franzen and Cleary have risen because they follow it.

This series is just getting started, and the Blackhawks can adjust. They're skilled enough to dent any defense, and they probably will. But it will be harder than they realized.

"I don't think (Kane) played as bad as everyone says," Zetterberg said. "I thought he was dangerous a few times. He can create something out of nothing."

Zetterberg can create something out of nothing, too. But trust him on this: It's almost as much fun forcing others to create nothing out of something.

 

Goal Whiz Zetterberg Drawing Praise for Defensive Game

CBC Sports, May 19, 2009

 

Henrik Zetterberg, a 31-goal scorer for the Detroit Red Wings in the regular season, has been equally impressive on the defensive side during the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.

First, the sixth-year NHL centre helped shut down Columbus' Rick Nash, who scored a career-best 40 goals in the regular season prior to being held to just one against Detroit in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

In Round 2, Anaheim Ducks linemates Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry combined for only seven points against Zetterberg and company when it mattered most, namely Games 5-7 against the prevailing Red Wings.

And on Sunday, Zetterberg and linemates Johan Franzen and Dan Cleary held Chicago's Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to three shots and watched the dynamic duo finish a combined minus-6 in Game 1 of the NHL Western Conference final in Detroit.

"They were all over me tonight, so I was trying to set up [scoring chances] more," Kane, who leads the Blackhawks with eight playoff goals, said of the Zetterberg line prior to Game 2.

The 20-year-old Kane was relatively quiet for games three through five in the conference semifinals against Vancouver (one assist) before erupting for his first-ever NHL hat trick in a series-clinching 7-5 win, so the Red Wings can't rest easy.

Zetterberg, who is coming off a 31-goal regular campaign, was named most valuable player of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs, in part for his tying of a team record for playoff goals (13) but also his defensive play.

 

It's well known that if you don't play defence in Detroit, you don't play, period.

 

"Scoring goals is probably a little bit more fun," Zetterberg said, "but the chance to play against good players and keep them from scoring is fun, too."

 

Hank Climbing Playoff Scoring Leaders List with Eight Game Points Streak

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, May 17, 2009

 

With another empty-net goal, an assist, and yet another multi-point game in today’s game 1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks; Henrik Zetterberg extended his scoring streak to 8 consecutive playoff games going back to game one of the last series against the Anaheim Ducks.

 

Hank assisted on a deflection goal by Dan Cleary midway through the third period that gave Detroit a two-goal lead, and added an empty-netter to secure the win for the Red Wings with less than a minute remaining. Zetterberg was also a team-high +3 for the game, despite being tasked with defending Chicago’s top guns, Patrick Kane (-3) and Jonathan Toews (-3).

 

Z continues to climb the NHL playoff scoring leaders list, just as he did last post-season when he won the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP. Henrik is currently 7^th in the league with 7 goals (4 empty-netters).  His 9 assists are good for a 5^th place tie. He is now 6^th with 16 total points in 12 games. And his +11 (plus/minus) is 3^rd behind linemate Dan Cleary (+13) and Milan Lucic (+11) of the eliminated Boston Bruins. 

 

Zetterberg also continues to inch up the Red Wings all-time playoff scoring leaders list. With 35 goals, 33 assists, and 68 total points, he is only 6 playoff points behind Norm Ullman for 10^th place in franchise history.

 

Wings Defeat Ducks in Game 7

Zetterberg Sets up Two Goals, including Game-winner

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, May 14, 2009

The Detroit Red Wings were finally able to put away the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night by a score of 4-3 in game 7 of the Western Conference second round series. Star forward Henrik Zetterberg extended his scoring streak to 7 games, setting up two goals tonight, including the game-winning goal.

For the third straight game, Zetterberg led the way for the Wings, with more minutes than any other forward (23:42), and more face-off wins (10). He was also the only player with 2 points in the game, assisting on a few crucial goals.

Scoring first was huge for Detroit, and they capitalized on that opportunity early in the game, when Jiri Hudler deflected in a pass from Johan Franzen for a power-play goal in the 1^st period. Zetterberg had set up the play by spreading Anaheim’s penalty killers with a long pass across the ice to Franzen.

Then, with the game tied 3-3 and only 3 minutes remaining in the third period, Zetterberg dug a puck out of the right corner and sent a nice backhanded pass into the crease. Dan Cleary was able to deflect the pass and knock in a loose rebound behind the leg of Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller for the game-winning tally.

Henrik had 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points in this 7-game series. He has a total of 6 goals, 11 assists, for 17 points in 17 career playoff games against Anaheim. Hank has played  than any other team in his career.

Zetterberg, the reigning Conn Smythe trophy winner (2008 Playoff MVP), now has 6 goals (7^th in the league), 8 assists (tied for 7^th), 14 points (tied for 7^th), and is a +8 (tied for 4^th) in 11 games in this years playoffs. 

Z currently ranks 11^th on the Red Wings all-time playoff scoring leaders list with 66 total points (34 goals and 32 assists) in 73 career playoff games. He needs just 8 points to tie Norm Ullman for 10^th place. Zetterberg will get his next chance to pile up points against Wing’s division rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks, in the Western Conference Finals.

Henrik Zetterberg Leads Red Wings' Penalty Killing

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, May 14, 2009

The Detroit Red Wings have allowed at least one power-play goal in nine straight playoff games, the longest such streak in franchise history. But they did a great job to limit the damage to one power-play goal on Thursday, killing off a pair of 5-on-3 power plays that lasted a total of 1:45.

Henrik Zetterberg was a force on the penalty-killing units, blocking shots (three) and winning puck battles.

"I said to Z on the bench, 'That's why you're the best,''' Cleary said. "What can you say, Conn Smythe winner (last year as playoff MVP), right there again this year. It was huge plays by Z. Pavel was great, too. We're fortunate our two best offensive players are our best defensive players.''

The Red Wings killed off a two-man advantage that lasted for 1:10 in the first period and another in the second period that lasted 35 seconds. They kept a tight triangle, denying cross-seam passes, blocking shots and causing the Ducks to be tentative with the puck.

"I was more shocked having two of them (5-on-3s) in a Game 7,'' goaltender Chris Osgood said. "Hank was great on it and Pavel is snake-bit, but he was great defensively. Hank must have had five, six blocks and he's our star player. We kind of built off that.''

Said Zetterberg: "We worked hard. We did that all seven games. Small things are going to decide if you win or lose. You will deserve your luck and we had it on our side today.''

DRW.com analyzes Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals

By Michael Caples, Detroit Red Wings, May 14, 2009

Who was the player of the game?

Assistant captain Henrik Zetterberg turned in a great Game 7 performance for the Wings Thursday night.  He factored in on the Wings’ first goal, picking up the second assist on Hudler’s fourth goal of the postseason.  He set up Cleary’s game-winner by dragging the puck into the corner then finding a way to get it out front.  But possibly most important was his play defensively.  Zetterberg blocked three shots (that the scoresheet reporting, anyway), and two of them came back-to-back.  With the Wings on a late penalty kill, Zetterberg took two shots right to the body, then still had the poise and strength to grab the puck and carry it all the way down to the Ducks’ zone.  It was a great defensive play by one of the top two-way players in the NHL, and it defines the way Zetterberg helps his squad.  The Wings’ forward skated for 23:42, second on the Detroit roster to only captain Nicklas Lidstrom’s 27:44.  He spent 2:28 of that on the penalty kill, and 3:32 of his time on the power play, showing his versatility.  Zetterberg also won ten face-offs, and he helped tie up Teemu Selanne at the final face-off with 6.4 seconds remaining in the Detroit end. 

Z Extends Points Streak to Six Games