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Hot Start for
Hank
By Chris Turner,
Zetterbergfan.com, September 26th,
2007
Being separated from
line-mate Pavel Datsyuk hasn’t slowed Henrik Zetterberg down at all
so far this pre-season. In fact, the 26 year-old Detroit Red Wings
star forward has continued his phenomenal scoring pace from last
season, centering a line with wingers Jiri Hudler and Mikael
Samuelsson. In four exhibition games, Zetterberg has four goals and
three assists and is a (plus/minus) +8, including two goals, an
assist, and a +4 in last nights 6-1 win over the New York Rangers at
the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Henrik’s first goal of
the game came 5:24 into the second period. With Detroit leading 2-0,
Zetterberg took a rebound off of a Samuelsson shot and wristed it
past Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, a teammate of Zetterberg’s
on the Gold Medal winning 2006 Swedish Olympic team.
Two minutes later
Zetterberg assisted on Pavel Datsyuk’s power-play tally. Later,
Henrik netted his second goal, making the score 6-0 with just 5:44
left in the game.
In the past,
Zetterberg and Datsyuk have been very effective, almost magical at
times, when partnered on the ice. Due to off-season losses of key
players, Coach Mike Babcock was forced to split the two in an effort
to make two formidable scoring lines. There was some concern going
into training camp that the Red Wings would be able to create enough
offence by splitting up the “Eurotwins”. However, both have been
able to be productive separately and have also enhanced the play of
their new line-mates.
Zetterberg had this to
say about the new line combinations after Tuesday night’s victory,
"They've worked pretty good so far .It's not like totally new lines
out there. I played with (Samuelsson) last year for a while. It's
just preseason, but it's nice to score some goals. It's nice things
are going so well. It's nice to be winning, but it's a week from now
when the games count for real."
Splitting Line is Paying
Off
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com,
September 26, 2007
By splitting up Henrik
Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk this season, the Detroit Red Wings are
hoping to spread the wealth and make their top two scoring lines
stronger.
If the preseason is
any indication, they have achieved that goal, as both top lines have
been productive. Zetterberg had two goals and an assist and Datsyuk
scored a goal as the Red Wings, playing with all but one of their
regulars, whipped the New York Rangers 6-1 on Tuesday in an
exhibition game at Joe Louis Arena.
The players on
Detroit's top two lines
(Zetterberg, Mikael Samuelsson and Jiri Hudler on one; Datsyuk,
Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen on the other) combined for four
goals and six assists.
Zetterberg and Datsyuk
began last season on separate lines and struggled. They were
reunited in early December and, along with Holmstrom, formed perhaps
the most dominant line in the NHL until late February, when a back
injury idled Zetterberg for the final 19 games of the regular
season. One of the team's biggest problems was that the bulk of its
scoring was concentrated on one line. Now the Red Wings feel they
are more balanced.
"That's pretty natural
for us to play on separate lines now; last year we didn't have a
chance to do that because (Robert) Lang was here as the second
centermen," Zetterberg said. "Both me and Pav can play center and
both of us want to do that. We'll start the year on different lines,
but we're probably going to play with each other, too. It's not
going to be that different."
Zetterberg Leads Red Wings over
Rangers
Associated Press,
September 25, 2007
Henrik Zetterberg had two goals and an
assist to left the Detroit Red Wings to a 6-1 preseason win over the
New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
Zetterberg put in
(Mikael) Samuelsson's rebound 5:24 into the second period and
(assisted when) Datsyuk added a power-play goal 2:07 later with
Marcel Hossa in the penalty box for boarding.
Zetterberg added his
second goal in the third period.
Zetterberg Scores
Two Goals and Adds Two Assists in Pre-Season
Victory
By Chris Turner,
Zetterbergfan.com, September 23, 2007
Playing only two of
the Detroit Red Wings first four pre-season games hasn’t affected
forward Henrik Zetterberg’s readiness or ability to make things
happen on the ice. Neither does the fact that the Pittsburgh
Penguins dressed almost all of its top players for its pre-season
home opener at Mellon Arena.
Zetterberg was
everywhere, scoring two goals, adding two assists, and posting a
(plus/minus) +3 in the Red Wings 5-2 win over the Penguins last
night in Pittsburgh.
Henrik assisted on
Kris Draper’s game tying goal half-way through the second period,
making it a 1-1 game.
Later, centering a
line with winger’s Jiri Hudler and Mikael Samuelsson, Zetterberg
then scored the go-ahead goal with just .6 seconds remaining in the
period when Penguin’s goalie Marc-Andre Fleury gave up a rebound on
Hudler’s shot. Zetterberg knocked in the loose puck to give
Detroit the 2-1 edge going into the
intermission.
Pittsburgh made it a close game
scoring a power-play goal, cutting the deficit to 3-2 with less than
two minutes remaining in regulation. However, Zetterberg scored his
second goal of the game 46 seconds later, into an empty net when the
Penguin’s pulled Fleury for the extra attacker while on the
power-play.
Then, with just 47
seconds left in the game, the 26 year-old Swede dished the puck to
his fellow countryman and line-mate Samuelsson, who scored the final
goal of the match. Samuelsson had assisted on both Zetterberg goals.
Wings' Locker Assignments Have a Purpose
(Zetterberg Mentors Filppula)
By George Sipple, Free
Press, September 21, 2007
It isn't a coincidence
that Valtteri Filppula will sit next to Henrik Zetterberg in the Red
Wings' locker room.
"Everything's on
purpose," Wings coach Mike Babcock said when asked about the seating
arrangements.
During Steve Yzerman's
final season, 2005-06, the Wings put Henrik Zetterberg next to the
Captain so he could see up close how one of game's greats carried
himself each day.
It's hoped that
Filppula will benefit from sitting next to
(Zetterberg).
"A big part of the
coaching that goes on ... the coaching staff does part of it, but
the players do part of it, too," Babcock said. "That's been passed
on over time here. ... We pride ourselves on having good people that
make players around them better."
Hank Uses Playoff Experience as Springboard
By Bill
Roose, Detroit Red Wings, Sep 20,
2007
As the Red Wings
prepared for Thursday night’s preseason home opener against
Minnesota, center Henrik Zetterberg assessed
the state of the team with 13 days before the October 3
season-opener.
For Zetterberg, the disappointing exit from
last season’s Western Conference finals was a learning experience
for the younger players, who will be called upon this season to
assume leadership roles.
“Me and Pavel
(Datsyuk) have had a good opportunity to play with the veteran guys
for a few years,” said Zetterberg, who missed the last 19 games of
the regular-season with lower back pain. “And naturally some guys
switch teams or (retire), so you have to be there to do your best to
take over the job.
“I think it was a great experience for a
lot of the guys, especially for me, going pretty deep into the
playoffs. I think that will help me going into this year and into
the playoffs.”
As for other younger guys like defenseman Brett Lebda and forwards
Jiri Hudler and Tomas Kopecky, their
ice-time will be related to their on-ice contributions.
“They
are going to get their chances to play even more this year,”
Zetterberg said. “So far, everybody looks good and looks like they
were training over the summer. We need them and they have to play
good for us, otherwise we’re not going to make it.”
As for
evaluating the remaining players in camp, coach Mike Babcock is
approaching the preseason games with an “I’m going to watch just
like you” view.
The name of the game for Babcock’s way of
doing things is based on productivity and a tenacious work ethic.
The philosophy sits well with players.
“We know his style of
play and we play hard,” Zetterberg said. “That’s the way we like to
play too. If you play good, you’ll play and if you don’t play good
you’re not going to play that much. It doesn’t matter who you are
and I think that’s a really good thing, especially with a veteran
team.
“He gets on me when I do something wrong, so it keeps
you sharp. Some times you get mad, but that’s the way of the game.”
Zetterberg
to Center Samuelsson and Hudler on Wings Second Line.
By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, September 11,
2007
In
hopes of creating two potent scoring lines, Red Wings Head Coach has
split the Dynamic Duo of Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, having
the pair center Detroits top two lines.
Several
sources are reporting that Zetterberg will center fellow Swede
Mikael Samuelsson and Jiri Hudler. Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen
will be Datsyuk’s wingers.
If
these lines don’t work in training camp, expect adjustments in an
attempt to generate offence.
…Zetterberg ready to start
camp
By Ted Kulfan, The
Detroit News, September 10,
2007
For Wings fans, the
news that Henrik Zetterberg (is) healthy and anxious to get the
season started makes a gray Monday very bright,
indeed.
Zetterberg said media
reports out of Sweden this summer that indicated he missed a charity
game due to lingering disc problems were
inaccurate.
Zetterberg said he
didn't play because he hadn't been on the ice prior to the late July
game and didn't want to risk injury.
Zetterberg said he's
healthy heading into training camp. The Wings leave Wednesday for
camp in Traverse
City.
"It's not bothering
me," Zetterberg said. "I feel real positive going into training
camp."
Zetterberg was
sidelined from Feb. 27 through the remainder of the regular season
with a disc problem, but returned for the
playoffs.
Zetterberg Says Back Feels
Fine…
By Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, September 10, 2007
Henrik Zetterberg is
healthy... (he) arrived from Europe
over the weekend and joined most of (his) teammates for an informal
practice Monday at Joe Louis Arena in preparation for the start of
training camp on Friday.
Zetterberg said his
back, which forced him to miss the final 19 games of the regular
season (inflamed disc), feels good.
"Right now it's not
bothering me,'' he said. "I'm going into camp feeling really
positive. Things can happen, but right now I feel
good.''
Zetterberg said he
withdrew from a couple of charity games in Sweden over the summer
not because his back was hurting but because he hadn't started
skating yet.
"I thought it wasn't
right to myself and the team that my first time on the ice I go play
a game, so I told them I couldn't go,'' Zetterberg said. "I think
the media in Sweden blew it up a
little bit. It wasn't a big thing.''
Asked if he
experienced any flare-ups, Zetterberg said, "Of course you have your
bad days and good days, but (skipping) the games had nothing to do
with my back.''
…Zetterberg Arrive(s), Raring to
Go
By Ted Kulfan, The
Detroit News, September 10,
2007
As for Zetterberg, the
immediate future is promising because there are no lingering
problems with his herniated disc.
Zetterberg was injured
Feb. 27 and missed the remainder of the regular season because of
the back injury before returning for the start of the
playoffs.
"Right now, it's not
bothering me," said Zetterberg, who didn't appear to be hindered on
the ice Monday. "I feel real positive going into training
camp."
Reports out of
Sweden during the summer
suggested Zetterberg skipped a charity exhibition game in July
because of back problems.
But Zetterberg said he
didn't play because he hadn't been skating before the game and
didn't want to risk any sort of injury.
"The media in
Sweden blew it up pretty
good," Zetterberg said. "I just told them I wasn't able to play. It
wasn't a big thing."
Coach Mike Babcock is
planning to split Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg, with each player
centering one of the offensive lines.
"It'll be a little
more difficult for the other team to match up," Zetterberg said.
"I'm sure on the power play we'll be with each other."
Will Wing’s
Fans See One of NHL’s Top Scoring
Lines?
By Chris Turner,
Zetterbergfan.com, September 6, 2007
Last season, the
Detroit Red Wings top line of “Eurotwins” Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel
Datsyuk, and right winger Tomas Holmstrom was the hottest scoring
trio in the league, tallying 90 goals amongst them until
Zetterberg’s season was cut short by 19 games due to a lower back
injury. With the dynamic duo of Dats and Zata making highlight-reel
plays and the “Demolition Man” Holmstrom camping out in front of
opposing goalies creases and tipping in his line-mates shots, it was
hard to stop Detroit’s top line from putting up points. It was
almost as hard to score against them. Zetterberg has always been
known as one of the NHL’s best two-way players, and both Pavel and
Tomas improved their defensive play. The line was a combined
(plus/minus) +75 for the year.
When “Homer” and the
torrent tandem are on the same line they easily rank among the top
five in the world, right up there with the likes of Daniel
Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley for the Ottawa Senators,
and Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, and Vaclav Prospal in
Tampa Bay.
When you think of just
how great this line could potentially be together on the ice, it is
almost crazy to think that Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock would
ever split them up. But that is exactly what he is likely to do to
start the regular season. During this off-season, Detroit has
lost an entire line of forwards; Todd Bertuzzi, Robert Lang, and
Kyle Calder, to free-agency. The Wings expect youngsters Valtteri
Filppula, Jiri Hudler, and rookie Igor Grigorenko to step up and
help ease the losses. However, after Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and
Holmstrom, the scoring drops off significantly. If the three were on
the top-line, opponent defenses could focus on shutting them down
and making Detroit rely on the second and
third lines to score. Babcock’s best option is probably to have
Zetterberg and Datsyuk center separate lines, in an attempt to
create two solid lines that can create offense consistently. But, I
expect to see Zetterberg and Datsyuk re-united, just as they have
been at some point in each of the last four seasons, if the Red
Wings struggle to score goals. Its going to be very difficult for
Babcock to fight the urge to pair the two, knowing the magic that
they are capable of making when they are on the ice at the same
time.
Q&A with Ken Holland: Red Wings GM addresses the
Swedes…
By Detroit Free
Press, September 6, 2007
When you look at the
success of the Swedish players, you have to consider the Detroit Red
Wings last year. Five of your top 10 scorers were Swedes (Henrik
Zetterberg, Niklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, Mikael Samuelsson, and
Johan Franzen) and seven of your regulars were from
Sweden (including
defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Andreas Lilja.)
You have prospects
coming up as well (winger Johan Ryno, defenseman Jonathan Ericsson, and goalie Daniel Larsson.)
What is it about the
organizational culture of the Red Wings that enables Swedish players
to excel?
KEN HOLLAND: Well, I
think first off, you know, they come here and there's other Swedish
players. Any time you go to a foreign country, there's people from
your own country, you instantly become comfortable with the
environment.
I also think, again I go back to Scotty Bowman
putting together the Russian 5 in the mid '90s (Sergei Fedorov, Igor
Larionov, Slava Kozlov, Vladimir Konstantinov, and Slava Fetisov.)
We play a European
style of game. It's a puck-possession game. It's a style of game
that I think most Europeans are comfortable with.
I think
it's allowed us to have the success we've had. Maybe some people
probably think that maybe we should be grittier and harder, and
there's probably some merit to that. We've kind of stuck to our
philosophy.
Again, when Swedish players come here, Nicklas
Lidstrom is here, Tomas Holmstrom is here, Henrik Zetterberg is
here. They're world-class players. The other Swedes that continue to
come over then after those ones, again, are comfortable with our
team. They all seem to live in a similar area in the
city.
They travel together back and forth to the rink. I
think in order for players to be successful and really reach their
potential, you know, the mental aspect of the game, just having an
environment where you're really comfortable, having a situation
where you feel confident you're going to get comfortable with the
style of play allows a player to reach their potential.
I
guess that's why I would think we've had success with our Swedish
players and our European players.
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