November 2011
Steve Yzerman Returns to Detroit as Lighting Take on Red Wings
By Chris Burke, TheDetroitSportsSite.com, November 30th, 2011
Steve Yzerman heads back to Detroit Wednesday night, as his Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Red Wings at the Joe for the first time since Yzerman took over as general manager.
“We’re looking forward to having Stevie back at the Joe,” Henrik Zetterberg (whose locker was once next to Yzerman's in the dressing room). “Hopefully, we’ll have a chance to see him for a little bit. And, hopefully, he will leave here with no points.”
Wings Still Trying To Find Stride
By Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News, November 23rd, 2011
"We've been consistently good and consistently bad. It's been a different kind of season. But sometimes you have to go through that, too. We have to keep doing the good things better and shorten down the bad periods."
-Henrik Zetterberg on Wings streaky play.
Zetterberg, Datsyuk Ignite, Help Extinguish Red Wings’ Road Woes
By Andrew Johnson, TheHockeyWriters.com, November 21, 2011.
Lack of production from elite forwards Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, was at least temporarily silenced this weekend as both players lit the lamp in Southern California.
“Your best players have to be your best players.” The words Red Wings’ coach Mike Babcock were echoed repeatedly through the first quarter of the season in response to the struggles of the Euro Twins. Combining for just 5 goals in Detroit’s first 17 games, Datsyuk and Zetterberg were notably lacking from the score sheet.
However, the failure to produce on the scoreboard wasn’t from a lack of trying. Both players have averaged more than 3 shots on goal per game this season, and combined for 13 assists before the weekend’s games
In Anaheim, Zetterberg snapped out of his 7 game drought netting one on the backhand for Detroit’s first goal of the game.
When their top players are scoring Detroit has been nearly unstoppable this season, but when those same players are absent the picture looks a little more bleak. 2 victories with the help of 4 goals and 6 assists from their big 3 (Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Franzen) is hopefully a sign of things to come for the Wings.
Zetterberg Loves to Roast Ducks
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, November 20th, 2011
Henrik Zetterberg scored on a beautiful backhander just 1:26 into the Wings 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks tonight to break a 7 game goalless streak, and also added an assist on Brad Stuart’s shorthanded tally with just 48 seconds remaining in the game.
With the goal and assist in tonight’s match, Z now has 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points and a +11 in the past 8 games versus the Ducks.
In 30 career games against Anaheim, Zetterberg has amassed 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 total points and is a +12.
Shotless in San Jose (Part III)
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, November 17th, 2011
Henrik Zetterberg was held without a shot on goal in last night’s 5-2 loss against the Shark’s in San Jose. It broke a streak of 31 consecutive games played in which Z had at least one shot on goal per game.
Coincidentally, the last time Henrik was held without a shot in a game was March 3rd, 2011 in San Jose.
Prior to that, Zetterberg had a streak of 102 consecutive games played in which he had at least one shot on goal per game. The last game Z was held shotless in just before the 102 game streak, was January 9th, 2010 in (you guessed it) San Jose.
To sum this up, in his past 203 career games, Zetterberg has only been held shotless 3 times, all three times, on the road, against the Sharks.
Shelby Filmmaker Brings Zetterberg and Hockeytown Humor to NYC
By Marina Cracchiolo, Shelby-utica.patch.com, November 16th, 2011
What does Shelby Township native and filmmaker Greg DeLiso have in common with the Red Wings center and alternate captain, Henrik Zetterberg? A friend who resembles the Swedish-born hockey star and a love for the game.
The only thing we don’t know for sure is if Zetterberg and DeLiso share the same sense of humor.
While living in New York City after studying filmmaking, DeLiso, 25, along with his friend and actor, Jakob Hawkins, came up with the idea to create a web series called the Fake Henrik Zetterberg, after realizing Hawkins had an uncanny resemblance to the “real Zetterberg.”
After years of brainstorming, writing, raising funds and production, Fake Zetterberg was launched as a 12-episode web series at noon on Oct. 25 on YouTube, blip.tv and FakeHenrikZetterberg.com. The show chronicles the life of a hapless misfit, played by Hawkins, as he dresses up in full Red Wings hockey gear and continues his day-to-day life in the Big Apple.
Fake Henrik Zetterberg features Kevin “Dot Com” Brown of NBC’s 30 Rock, as Henrik’s best friend, Fake Dikembe Mutombo, and Austin Pendleton, a celebrated character actor whose credits include My Cousin Vinny, Oz, and Short Circuit. Hawkins acting credits include Gossip Girl and As the World Turns.
Since the launch of the series, the first episode has garnered more than 20,000 hits on YouTube and the filmmakers have been featured on the Detroit Free Press and Yahoo Sports, who called the web series “hilarious.”
DeLiso, who met with Patch for an interview at a Shelby Township coffee shop last week, said he has been blown away by the series’ support and positive reviews.
In the Beginning
DeLiso moved to New York City in 2004 after he graduated from Eisenhower to attend the New York Film Academy.
DeLiso said he was 17 when he arrived in New York full of dreams.
“All I could think of was, ‘I got to make movies’ and then when I got there and my dad dropped me off I was like ‘holy #$@*.’”
While still attending the one-year program in 2005, DeLiso began interning with famed Hollywood film editor Bob Mead, who has done work for Producer Ridley Scott.
However, DeLiso said Mead at the time was a struggling editor, and put him to work on a few low-budget films as an extra and assistant editor. While filming Divergence in New Jersey, DeLiso met Hawkins, who was starring in the film and the two became instant friends.
DeLiso, a big hockey fan, had been telling Hawkins for years that he looked like Henrik Zetterberg, but it wasn’t until after the Wings won the Stanley Cup in 2008 that Hawkins admitted there was a striking resemblance – and then a light went off.
“He (Hawkins) was in the dentist and the Red wings just won the Stanley Cup. He saw Zetterberg on a magazine and started thinking, ‘wouldn’t it be funny if you dressed me up in full gear and I just did random stuff?” Hawkins had told DeLiso.
In 2009, the duo began filming 30 second clips of Fake Henrik Zetterberg—dressed in full gear and outfitted in a thick Swedish accent. In one episode, Zetterberg goes to apply for an office job using a trading card as his resume.
DeLiso said the premise of the series was real-life absurdist situations.
“It made sense to base the series off of Big – the Tom Hanks movie because it has the same fish out of water theme,” he said.
Originally, Hawkins and DeLiso had hoped to sell the spec clips to the NHL, but instead, the clips went viral, hitting 200,000 page views and became the most watched video in the Yahoo Canada sports section in 2009.
DeLiso as the editor, videographer and producer and Hawkins, the star and writer of the series, decided they needed to raise some serious cash to turn the clips into a full-blown web series.
After raising more than $5,000 on IndieGoGo.com by promising to give contributors credit on the series, DeLiso and Hawkins hired professional actors and filmed for nine days over summer. DeLiso said the greatest challenge of shoot was keeping Hawkins, who was dressed in full hockey gear, cool during the 90-degree days and 12-hour shoots.
“Jakob is sweating his butt off,” said DeLiso. Anybody who has ever worn hockey gear knows how bad it can smell. It smelled beyond bad – it was just insane,” he said laughing.
DeLiso said the content of the show remains PG-rated because he wants it to appeal to everyone.
“I was thinking if I was 10 and saw this, I would have loved it. I wanted to make sure it was OK for kids to watch,” he said.
What Does the Future Hold For the Talented Filmmaker?
DeLiso, who said he had enough of living in New York City, recently moved back to Shelby Township and plans to continue making movies as he works as a freelance video editor.
Since returning home, DeLiso worked on a film called Canada’s Best-kept Secret, a 70-minute documentary by RD Lawrence, which recently premiered last week in Canada. Click here to view a trailer of the movie.
Also, DeLiso said he’s excited to start collaborating on projects with his friend, Eisenhower graduate Pete Litvin, who has been studying filmmaking in NYC, when he moves back to Shelby soon.
DeLiso started a production company bearing the name of the street he grew up on off of Van Dyke Avenue, called Munrovia Pictures.
In the meantime, DeLiso said he’s still waiting for his chance to meet the “real Zetterberg.”
“We have never been contacted by a player. That would be my dream come true.”
'Awful': Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg are Wings' Slumping Stars
By Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News, November 16th, 2011
Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, standouts throughout their NHL careers, are slumping.
Zetterberg has struggled, with only six points (three goals, three assists), but is a plus-2.
"Absolutely, I'm the same as Pavel (Awful)," Zetterberg said. "(We're) just trying to do everything right and work hard in practice and games, and hopefully it'll turn around."
Coach Mike Babcock has preached patience with his two stars. Both have put up big offensive numbers in the past, and Babcock doesn't see any reason that won't continue.
"They're real good people and real good players and they've been good players for us for a long time," Babcock said. "They have a lot of pride and we have a lot of pride and they want to be better.
"But this is what I know: If you think about scoring, you don't score. If you do things good, good things happen, so work hard, be good defensively, go to the net, and things will go your way."
Red Wings Reaping Benefits of Valtteri Filppula's Aggressive play On the Wing
By Ansar Khan, MLive.com, November 12th, 2011
According to Henrik Zetterberg, in the Detroit Red Wings’ system, there isn’t much difference between playing center and the wing.
"(Filppula’s) really taken charge, the way he handles the puck, the way he sets up plays and has confidence to make plays," Zetterberg said.
Filppula had 11 points (three goals, team-leading eight assists) heading into Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars at Joe Louis Arena. He had a team-best plus-9 rating.
Filppula spent much of last season centering the third line. This year, he’s been on a top-two line most of the time, playing with Zetterberg.
"Everyone has been waiting for him to take the next step, but you have to also be given that chance to take the next step and I think this year he’s been given that chance," Zetterberg said. "He’s been showing he can really take that step, too."
"When I play with him and I’m center — same thing as when I play with Pav (Datsyuk) -- first guy back is the center," Zetterberg said. "If you count all the times he’s the first guy back, it might be 50-50.
"Playing center or wing is not that big a difference. It’s basically on paper. Then when you go out you just react to the situation. Maybe he doesn’t have to be the first guy back all the time, so he has more energy to create something offensively."
Zetterberg’s 600th Career Game Features Highlight Reel Assist
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, November 11th, 2011
Henrik Zetterberg set up a third period goal by linemate Valtteri Filppula with a nice saucer pass to give the Detroit Red Wings a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Zetterberg’s 600th career game in nine NHL seasons.
The assist tonight gives Hank three goals and three assists for only six points in the first fourteen games played this season.
Z has 233 goals and 328 assists for 561 total career points, averaging .935 points per game.
VIDEO: Henrik Zetterberg sweet saucer pass to Filppula
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, November 11th, 2011
Henrik Zetterberg said teammates try to get Franzen the puck when he’s on a roll.
"Absolutely. Feed the Mule. That’s what we’re doing right now," Zetterberg said. "He’s playing really well. I think he’s aiming for the All-Star Game, and hopefully he keeps it going."
Henrik Zetterberg Not a Fan of Tampa Bay’s Trap
The Detroit News, November 10th, 2011
Henrik Zetterberg saw highlights of the Flyers and Lightning just standing around on the ice Wednesday, waiting for each other to make a move. "Hilarious," said Zetterberg. Tampa Bay was sitting in a 1-3-1 neutral-zone trap; Philadelphia kept the puck in its zone until the referee stopped play. "It was a good way to show how boring it could be if the other team doesn't do anything," Zetterberg said. "That's the way we played in Sweden 10, 12 years ago. A 1-3-1, really strict, and the game became really boring. "With the skill we have in this league, you shouldn't be able to play that way."
By Chuck Pleiness, The Daily Tribune, November 9th, 2011
“He’s doing the things he does very well, especially on the power play,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “He’s basically created a roll for himself and it has kept in the in the league what is it 15 years now? He’s still going strong.
“He has really good hands,” Zetterberg added. “A lot of times you only think he can be in front of the net, but he sees the ice very well and he’s really good at getting pucks back and working in the corner. He’s a good fit for the top line.”
Split the Difference for Red Wings?
By Dana Wakiji, FoxSportsDetroit.com, November 9th, 2011
When the Red Wings were mired in a six-game losing streak, coach Mike Babcock decided he had to separate the Euro Twins, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
In their six losses, the Wings scored a total of six goals.
Since Datsyuk began centering Tomas Holmstrom and Danny Cleary, and Zetterberg began centering Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula, the Wings have scored 10 goals in two games.
"I'm not hot until everyone else is hot," Franzen said. "When we play good, I get opportunities, other guys get opportunities. We all go together. It's not much about me, it's more the whole team."
But it's also about playing with Zetterberg and Filppula.
"Those two are really skilled with the puck, a lot of speed, so I can play my game a little better, too, try to go to the net and do all that and I know they will get the puck there and win battles and all that," Franzen said. "I think I can play the way I'm supposed to play a little bit better because they're really good."
Henrik Zetterberg…Disappointed in 2011
By Katie Day, Bleacherreport.com, November 7th, 2011
Zetterberg is playing at his worst this year. He struggles on the line with Datsyuk, the duo usually perform well together on the ice. Even so, they often play apart more than together.
So far this season, Zetterberg has only three goals and two assists. He is also at a minus-three.
It's not like the top scorer is not getting any shots at the net, he has had 50 shots on goal in 12 games this season. Zetterberg said after the win against the Ducks:
"When you keep losing, losing, losing, you're making changes, changes, changes instead of keep it simple and believe in yourself and do what you've been doing all these years."
Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk Split Up
By Bob Duff, The Windsor Star, November 3rd, 2011
Mired in a five-game losing streak, the Detroit Red Wings are not scoring at epic proportions.
With just 23 goals tallied overall and just five in their last five games, the Wings are off to their worst offensive start through the first 10 games of the season since they registered a meagre 18 goals through the first 10 games of the 1975-76 season.
"It's not like we don't have the chances," Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg said.
"Suddenly we can't get the puck by the goalie. It is frustrating, but you just have to keep going; doing the right things and working hard. It will turn around. You just have to believe."
Coach Mike Babcock will split up Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.
"I just played Pav and Z together nine straight games, and through that time we haven't done anything, so I'm not playing them together," Babcock said.
