When one of his forwards was in a scoring slump last season, Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock had a cure that usually worked: He'd put him on Henrik Zetterberg's line for a couple of games.

So what does Babcock do now, when his best forward, Zetterberg, has gone eight games without a point?

"Put Sammy on his line,'' Babcock said Monday, referring to winger Mikael Samuelsson, who's ready to return from his shoulder injury. "Hank's got to have a shooter on his line, someone's got to shoot it in the net.''

Zetterberg has been centering a line with skilled rookie Valtteri Filppula and defensive forward Kris Draper. Babcock is pleased with their performance, saying they've helped the team win three consecutive games, but he believes Zetterberg needs a finisher like Samuelsson flanking him.

Zetterberg didn't go more than three games without a point during his breakout 2005-06 season. The longest drought of his NHL career was an 11-game point-less streak during his rookie season in 2003-04.

"Last year was my best year, so this year when you're not scoring, it kind of gets into your head. Last year is in the past," Zetterberg said. "This year, I haven't started good. You just need to keep playing, do the right things out there and believe in yourself. You don't want to think about it too much because then it's going to be in your head.''

Zetterberg is determined to make sure his offensive struggles don't affect his defensive play.

"The worst thing to do is start cheating (on defense), you just have to keep playing well in all parts of your game and the goals will come,'' Zetterberg said.

Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom believes teams are defending Zetterberg more closely after his 39-goal, 85-point season.

"I think they're trying to not give him as much space with the puck, trying to get on him quicker,'' Lidstrom said. "We know if he gets time with the puck he can make plays for us.''

Said Babcock: "We love it when they focus on him because if they got their best guy playing against him, it's a great matchup for us.''

Only Johan Franzen and Mathieu Schneider have taken more shots (32 each) than Zetterberg (31).

"I think he can shoot a little bit more, not look for that extra pass,'' Lidstrom said. "But, I think he's playing well with the puck.''

Nobody is concerned about the slump. It's just a matter of time before Zetterberg breaks loose. His occasional linemate, Pavel Datsyuk, also got off to a slow start but has picked it up with two goals and four assists in the last four games.

"It's like anything, you start feeling good -- your legs and your hands -- and the puck starts going in,'' Babcock said.

“OH” for the Last Seven!

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, October 28, 2006

When will Henrik Zetterberg get his next point? Quite possibly tonight on the road, against the St. Louis Blues, the team which Zetterberg has had the most success against in his three seasons in the NHL. He has ten goals, twelve assists, and a +19 in 17 games against the division rivals.

The Red Wings have won two games in a row against tough Western Conference leaders, the San Jose Sharks and the Dallas Stars, but would still love to see their star forward get it going offensively. Zetterberg has gone pointless in seven straight games now, and has just two goals and an assist in ten games this year. He is third on the team in shots on goal with 28, just two behind team leader Johan Franzen. Eventually, a few more of the shots are going to go in. And for Henrik, they usually do against the Blues.

At his current scoring rate, Zetterberg will have just sixteen goals and eight assists in 82 games this year. However, he is likely to break out of his slump and go on a scoring streak soon. Expect to see him end this season around his career average of .78 points per game, which would still be a disappointment. Most are hoping that Zetterberg will perform at point-per-game pace.  

Sore Wrist May Attribute to Scoring Woes

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, October 21, 2006

On the eve of the Detroit Red Wings third straight loss on a four game road trip, and fifth straight game in which star forward and expected offensive leader Henrik Zetterberg has not contributed to the teams scoring, CBC’s Drew Remeda, on Hockey Night in Canada’s “Satellite Hotstove”, said that Zetterberg had been seen nursing his left wrist again at practice prior to Saturday’s match. Reports are that it was wrapped during practice and that trainers were tending to it after practice. 

Zetterberg’s left wrist has been bothering him since the 2004 playoff series against Calgary. Since then, he has become accustomed to playing with it wrapped, and being productive with pain. However, after resting all off-season, the wrist became troublesome again when Henrik began to practice with his former Swedish Elite League team, Timra, in August. He was flown to Detroit and examined by Wing’s medical staff. It was determined at that time that it was a tendonitis type injury that would not require surgery. In early September, Zetterberg got a cortisone shot and was told to rest prior to training camp.

A few days later he had this to say,” The wrist hasn't felt this good in a long time. It feels even better than it did before. I just hope it stays like it is right now. I don't feel anything, so the doctor did a good job."

If the wrist has become aggravated again, it may need another cortisone shot to relieve the pain. But, it could be an indication that the problem is worse than earlier expected and might require surgery either after the season or when Henrik can no longer play in pain. If he can’t be productive with a nagging wrist, perhaps its best to opt with surgery early and have him back in the lineup for the playoff push. Either way, the organization needs to find a way to help Zetterberg improve his game. Without him equaling or surpassing last year’s 39 goals and 46 assists the Red Wings making the playoffs might be in jeopardy.

Where Has All the Offense Gone?

By Helene St. James, Free Press, October 21, 2006

Seven games into the season, Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk has one goal and three points -- all in the same game. His fellow star forward, Henrik Zetterberg, has two goals and three points.

Neither has a single point the past four games, which is a big reason why the Wings hover at .500 as they finish a four-game road trip tonight at Edmonton.

"Me and Pav want to put some numbers up and we just have to work hard," Zetterberg said after the Sharks loss. "It's early, but of course you want to produce more. Me and Pav play a lot of minutes and we play a lot of power play, so we want to give a lot more points-wise. Nothing else you can do but keep trying and keep believing in yourself."

Talking about Datsyuk and Zetterberg's lack of production Thursday night, coach Mike Babcock said, "We also have got to help them."

Much of the problem the past three games has been penalties: The Wings played shorthanded a combined 35:24 against the Sharks and Ducks and had to kill off eight penalties against the Kings.

While Zetterberg and Datsyuk highlight the Wings' offensive problems -- Detroit has scored 19 goals overall and given up 17. The problem is team-wide.

Datsyuk is averaging nearly 19 minutes a game and Zetterberg 20. It's hard to think they aren't going to break out of their slumps at some point.

"We're doing the same stuff as we did last year, but the puck hasn't gone in," Zetterberg said. "I think we just have to keep doing the stuff and we're going to score some goals. I'm not worried about him, and I don't think he's worried, either."

Cold Start

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, October 20, 2006

Henrik Zetterberg is off to the slowest start of his four year NHL career. The star forward and newly appointed alternate captain is expected to be an offensive leader for the Detroit Red Wings this season following the departures of future Hall-of-Famers Steve Yzerman (retirement) and Brendan Shanahan (to New York Rangers via free agency). So far, the phenom has not lived up to the expectations statistically. He has only two goals, one assist, and is a +2 (plus/minus) in seven games this season. Two of his three points came in the third game of the season against Phoenix. He has no points, is a -1, and has four penalty minutes in the last four games. Zetterberg’s biggest slump ever was an eleven game pointless streak from December 2002 to January 2003 in his rookie year.

Opposing teams seem to have focused their defensive efforts on stopping Hank and teammate Pavel Datsyuk, who has only one goal and two assists in seven games. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock has tried to alleviate having both forwards from facing top defensive pairings by splitting them on separate lines. So far, neither has been able to break through and produce points. The lack of scoring is not due to a lack of effort. Nobody is competing harder than Zetterberg. If you watch him play, he is driving into the offensive zone, grinding along the boards, moving his legs and fighting through checks on every shift. The puck seems to be attached to his stick. But, defensemen are trying to force Henrik outside along the boards, and he is getting attention from back-checking forwards.

Another reason for the dip in goals is the struggling Red Wings power play. Detroit is only 4 for 41 (8.2%) on power play opportunities so far this season. Zetterberg scored 17 of his 39 goals last year on the power play.

Zetterberg is on pace for 23 goals and just 12 assists for 35 total points this year. His previous career lows are 15 goals in 61 games in an injury shortened 2003-2004 season, in which he still managed to finish with 43 total points. Obviously, Henrik will not struggle all year, and his numbers will improve. He is still expected to match or surpass his career highs of 39 goals and 46 assists from last year, however he is going to need to go on a scoring streak to make up for his recent slump.

Detroit’s next game is Saturday night, on the road, against the Edmonton Oilers, who eliminated the Red Wings from the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring. Zetterberg has only one goal, four assists, and is a -3 in eleven career regular season games against the Oilers, but he had success against Dewayne Roloson, scoring six goals in six games in the recent playoff series. 

Next week they face San Jose, Dallas, and St. Louis, teams which Henrik has been very successful against in his career. He has two goals, seven assists, and is a +2 in eleven games against the Sharks.  Facing the Stars, he also has two career goals, eleven assists, and is a +6 in eleven games. And the Blues are a team that Zetterberg has dominated with ten goals, twelve assists, and a +19 in 17 games. Look for the Swedish sensation to break out of his funk soon. When he does he is likely to explode offensively.

Zetterberg Named Alternate Captain; Scores First Goal of Season

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, October 5, 2006

Henrik Zetterberg scored the only goal for the Detroit Red Wings in their opening night, 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, at the Joe Louis Arena.

Zetterberg scored his even strength goal from near the goal line, 15:55 into the second period, making the score 3-1 and giving the Wings hope of a late comeback. However, Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo was the difference in the game, stopping 27 shots and killing 9 Red Wings power plays. Zetterberg was a plus/minus +1 in the game and led the team with five shots on goal.

The game was preceded by an opening ceremony in which Zetterberg’s fellow countryman, future Hall of Fame defenseman Niklas Lidstrom, was named the Red Wings Captain, the first following legendary Steve Yzerman. Yzerman took the ice in a business suit and dropped the ceremonial first puck between Lidstrom and Canuck’s Captain Markus Naslund, also a Swede.

Zetterberg and Kris Draper were given the honor of being named Detroit’s alternate captains. Zetterberg had been mentioned as a possible candidate to wear the “C” but Lidstrom ended up being the obvious choice. 

With the first goal of the year, Zetterberg now has 77 goals and 96 assists in 218 career games. He is .

A Bulkier Zetterberg Will Have Heftier Role

By Helene St. James, Free Press, October 5, 2006

Henrik Zetterberg is stronger than ever before, having added about 13 pounds of muscle after a rigorous weight-training program during the summer.

That has put him up near 195 pounds, strength he hopes to convert into a second spectacular season for the Red Wings. Zetterberg, who turns 26 on Monday, is coming off a career year with 39 goals and 85 points in 77 games, which he followed with six playoff goals.

With Steve Yzerman retired and Brendan Shanahan gone to New York, Zetterberg stands to increase his role with the team in every aspect. He'll be named an alternate captain before tonight's game against Vancouver, and he is already slated to become the captain after Nicklas Lidstrom.

It has been pretty clear ever since Zetterberg's rookie season in 2002-03 that he's something special, and last year he emerged as one of the game's top two-way players.

He became coach Mike Babcock's answer to a slumping winger, and played in all situations, from power play to penalty killing to protecting a late lead. Now he's ready to build on that.

"You want to play better than your last season and of course there's always pressure on you, but I don't think it's any bad pressure," he said Wednesday. "I think I had a good year last year -- I scored more goals than I thought I would, so hopefully I can stay on the same pace as that, and just try to be a better player."

Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk -- who three years ago were nicknamed the Euro twins by teammates -- have quietly emerged as leaders both on and off the ice.

"Their skill level is obvious, but you combine the skill level with the attitude they have -- they come in and they work extremely hard," Yzerman, the former team captain, said. "That's what I really feel is good about them, that they set an example much like Nick because they compete hard, they train hard, they play on the road; they play at home. They really set the tone and guys follow along. If your best players are floating around out there, it's not the right atmosphere to set for the rest of your team. Their work ethic is what elevates their status in the locker room."

Babcock has gone back and forth on the issue, but at the moment, it appears Zetterberg will play at his natural center position, which suits him best. On Wednesday, he practiced on a line between Mikael Samuelsson and Kris Draper, and was on a power-play unit with Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom

Their Time is Now

By John Niyo, The Detroit News, October 3, 2006

Stop me if you've heard this one: Two Swedes walk into a car dealership, and the tall one says to the owner, "I want you to meet the next Steve Yzerman."

Henrik Zetterberg laughs.

Yes, it's an old joke. And yes, he knows the punch line.

He isthe punch line.

But the joke's on the tall one, Nicklas Lidstrom, as it turns out. For the next couple years, at least, he's being asked to fill Yzerman's role as captain, with Zetterberg waiting in the wings.

When the curtain goes up on the 2006-07 season Thursday, two of the lead actors in one of the NHL's longest-running shows won't be on the stage. Last summer, Yzerman called it quits on a legendary 23-year career, while Brendan Shanahan, another likely Hall of Famer, moved on to the bright lights of Broadway, citing as one of his reasons management's desire in Detroit to "give some of their younger players an opportunity to take over that leadership in the dressing room."

At the core of that youth movement is a trio of twenty-something talents -- forwards Zetterberg (25) and Pavel Datsyuk (28), and defenseman Niklas Kronwall (25). Together, they're the "foundation," as general manager Ken Holland puts it. And while other young players will be asked to play key supporting roles, there's little doubt where the star quality lies among the under-30 crowd.

"They're just great kids, extremely hard-working and obviously extremely talented -- all three of them," Mathieu Schneider said. "They have all the makings of being great players in this league for years to come and they can be the Yzermans and Shanahans of the next decade. Everything's in place for them right now."

Pressure to win

Right now, it's not just a team in transition, of course. The league has re-emerged from the shadows of the lockout with new rules, new stars and a new outlook.

"It's good hockey," Datsyuk said. "Good for the players, good for the fans. It's a fun game."

But the fun only lasts as long as the winning does. Three straight early-round playoff exits have left a sour taste in everyone's mouth, but particularly for Datsyuk, who tried to shake off a late-season injury last spring but was limited to three assists in five playoff games. The Wings' scoring leader in the regular season has gone 26 playoff games without a goal, and over the summer Holland tried in vain to dismiss trade rumors involving Datsyuk, who is due to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

"I don't think he cares that much what people say," said Zetterberg, who was one of the few bright spots in the first-round loss to Edmonton, scoring six goals. "He just wants to go out and play the game. And I think he's ready to take another step this year."

Holland said he has had preliminary discussions about a new contract with Datsyuk's agent.

He'll start talking long-term contract with Kronwall's agent, too, trying to protect the Red Wings' young assets.

"We think he's one of the future leaders of this club," coach Mike Babcock said. "He's going to create offense for us and pace in our game. And if he can ever get back to, 'I don't have to worry about my knee, I don't have to worry about this, I can just play,' he's going to be a lot better player."

Kronwall, who made it back from a torn knee ligament last season, is eager to do just that.

"I'm ready to go out and play a full season, but I still have to prove it to everyone," he said. "Obviously, there's a big opportunity here (for me), but I don't think that's any different than any other year."

Extra attention

For Datsyuk and Zetterberg, who is signed through 2009, it's not so much a bigger role as it is a bigger target. The duo led the Wings in scoring last season (Datsyuk had 87, Zetterberg 85.)

"If they can post similar numbers as last year, I think we'd be pretty happy," Holland said. "They're going to get the other teams' best defensive pairings and all the attention. But I think they're up to the challenge."

So do their teammates

"I've never seen them take a night off," Schneider said. "Do they have off nights? Yeah. But it's not because of a lack of effort."

Added Lidstrom: "They've been our leaders on the ice already. Now we just need more leadership from them, too."

Leadership.

There's that word again.

" Holland said. "Everybody wants to know, 'Who's the next Steve Yzerman?' "Well, in the 80-year history of the Detroit Red Wings, there's probably been only two Steve Yzermans. One was Gordie Howe, and the other was Stevie. So while I understand what people are asking, I'm not ready to pin that label on anybody."

Not even Zetterberg?

"Henrik Zetterberg's a great player," Holland said. "But I'm not ready to put him in the Hall of Fame yet."

Lidstrom isn't ready to do that either. But someday

"I remember when I first came over and when I was at that stage these younger guys are at now," Lidstrom said. "It's when you start feeling trusted, you know?

"I think we saw that with Hank the last couple years. You just saw him getting better and better. He's always had the talent, but he has that drive, too. He's going to be the next leader of this team, and it shows."

Zetterburg, Datsyuk Will Lead New Era for Wings

By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, Wednesday, October 04, 2006

For years, the Detroit Red Wings dressing room was an awe-inspiring sight to young players. Everywhere they looked there was a future Hall of Famer. At least nine played for the club's last Stanley Cup-winning team in 2002.

Gradually, most of them left: Dominik Hasek, Luc Robitaille, Igor Larionov, Sergei Fedorov, Brett Hull. Then, during a six-day span in July, the two-most recognizable Wings of this generation departed, as Steve Yzerman retired after 22 seasons in Detroit, 19 as captain, and Brendan Shanahan signed with the New York Rangers.

Hasek is back, joining the estimable Nicklas Lidstrom and the ageless Chris Chelios, but the room no longer has that legendary feel.

The team is in transition. Now is the time for young stars Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk to emerge from the shadows of departed icons and usher in a new era for the Red Wings.

"Their roles will change significantly,'' Chelios said. "Now, they'll have to take charge and be the doers. They've had the best to learn from. I don't think they'll have any problem accepting that responsibility. It's going to be fun to watch them.''

Said Hasek: "These guys right now are key to the team. They are veterans and have become leaders here.''

The loss of Yzerman and Shanahan and three consecutive playoff flops have led many to forecast this club's fall. But, with 17 players back from last season's 124-point team, including the dynamic duo of Zetterberg and Datsyuk, the Wings believe they are still Stanley Cup championship contenders.

"Our organization is in great hands with Pavel and Hank,'' Wings center Kris Draper said. "Those guys stepped up offensively and really (shouldered) the load. That shows they're ready to take the next step. Night in and night out last year they were as good as any guy in the league.''

Datsyuk, with his amazing stick-handling ability and electrifying array of moves, has led the Wings in points in each of the last two seasons, recording a career-high 87 in 2005-06. Zetterberg emerged as a two-way force last season, his third in the NHL. His 39 goals were one less than club leader Shanahan scored, and he finished with 85 points, 41 more than his previous career high.

"I think a lot of guys have to step up, and of course, me and Pavel are two of them,'' Zetterberg said. "Stevie was such a big part of this team for a long time, everybody has to chip in to take it over.''

Beyond statistics, what impresses Yzerman about the pair is the way they conduct themselves. They have a little bit of the former captain in them.

"You combine the skill level with the attitude they have, that's why I really feel good about them,'' Yzerman, now a team vice president, said. "These guys set an example, much like Nick (Lidstrom), they compete hard, they train hard, they work, they play on the road, they play at home. So they really set the tone and guys will follow along.

"If your best players are floating around out there, it's not the right atmosphere to set for the rest of your team. Their work ethic is what elevates their status in the locker room.''

And, despite their quiet demeanor, they should feel more comfortable asserting themselves on the ice, in the locker room and in the coach's office.

"They're very bright guys with good attitudes, so they're natural leaders,'' Yzerman said. "You don't have to be a vocal guy to be a leader, it's more about how you conduct yourself and assume responsibility.''

During their three seasons together, Datsyuk and Zetterberg have excelled when paired on the same line and on separate units. Zetterberg prefers to be on a different line so he can play center, where he feels more comfortable. Wings coach Mike Babcock said he'll continue playing the two together and apart at various times.

"We enjoy playing together, but we're kind of similar players and we both want to have the puck, too, so we want to have our own lines,'' Zetterberg said.

Datsyuk's role will expand this season as Babcock plans to use him to kill penalties, paired with Zetterberg. Babcock also wouldn't mind if Datsyuk wasn't so unselfish and shot the puck more. He took only 145 shots last season -- about half the total of Shanahan (289), who led the team.

"He feels better when everybody is scoring; he got that from Larionov,'' Babcock said. "There's always things in your game you want to be improving on, but I don't tell a whole lot to Pavel, he's a hard-working guy.''

His work ethic hasn't translated into postseason success, however, as Datsyuk has failed to score a goal in his last 26 playoff games.

"I want to play good not only in the season, but I want to play good in the playoffs,'' Datsyuk said. "It's hard to remember why I didn't play like (he did) in the regular season.''

"Because he was injured going into the playoffs last year (charley horse) he's got a rap that he didn't bring it in the playoffs,'' Babcock said. "That's not true at all. He's a dominant NHL centerman, can play both sides of the puck.''

Zetterberg struggled in the playoffs during his first two seasons but was one of the team's few bright spots in last season's first-round loss to Edmonton, with six goals in six games.

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

The Wings have Zetterberg locked up for three more years at a bargain price of $2.6 million per season. Datsyuk is in the final year of his contract ($3.9 million) and is eligible for unrestricted free agency in July.

"I want to stay in Detroit,'' Datsyuk said. "Everybody kind of not believe me. It's good town, good fans.''

It's a good situation for Datsyuk and Zetterberg. They're surrounded by talented players, unlike other young stars on lousy teams, such as Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh and Alexander Ovechkin of Washington.

"The great thing about being here is the experience and depth, the leadership; they're not thrust into a situation where they're carrying everything on their shoulders,'' Wings defenseman Mathieu Schneider said. "They're not expected to do anything more than they've been doing here. It's not going to be as big a transition as it may appear to be from the outside.''