zetterbergfan

A grand total of 5 of Z's 34 playoff goals are empty-netters. I agree, I am happy both are Red Wings and even happier when they are together on the same line. I just think Z has a better all-around game and comes up huge on both sides of the puck when it matters most.

Red Wings All-time playoff scoring leaders It would be interesting to see how different this conversation would be if the topic were started today. I wonder how many people would jump onto the other bandwagon. Zetterberg gets it done defensively and puts up points against opponents top lines. I would say Datysuk plays better when paired with Z, just as it appears that Z is better when on a line with Datsyuk. But statistically, Zetterberg is clutch in the playoffs.

Defensively, Eriksson's big body paired with Lidstrom against the Duck's top line is a plus. Chelios may cost them a dumb penalty, but he should be fine on the third pairing. This only hurts a little on the PP. Time for Kronwall and Stuart to step up. Am I the only one who feels like these are "relatively minor" injuries to Rafalski and Draper and that the Wings are either being precautionary or really don't mind the alternatives (Helm and Chelios) as long as they are winning games?

Commodore is a clown. I like watching him sit in the penalty box.

The BJ's have never seen playoff intensity. The Wings will be ready. They know what to expect.

Go Chicago. I'd like to see Anaheim pass Columbus in the standings, so that we can avoid the Ducks in the first round.

I still think last night's game was a first round preview. St. Louis is hot...but the Wings will turn it up for the playoffs. Detroit in 6.

Rank Team PTS 1 San Jose 122 2 Detroit 118 3 Vancouver 104 4 Calgary 101 5 Chicago 97 6 Columbus 96 7 St. Louis 93 8 Anaheim 92 San Jose over Anaheim in 7 Detroit over St. Louis in 6 Vancouver over Columbus in 6 Calgary over Chicago in 6 Calgary over San Jose in 6 Detroit over Vancouver in 7 Detroit over Calgary in 6 Detroit over Boston in 6

Probably pretty obvious which side I am on, although I would say they are pretty equal. You can't say Datsyuk is that much better offensively. He is a career .99 points-per-game. Z is .95. But Z also has 12 more goals in 94 fewer games. Career +/-??? virtually equal as far as on a game by game basis. Dats is +.30 per game over his career. Z is + .28. This year sort of distorts the stats also. This debate went in favor of Zetterberg prior to now and wouldn't have even been a question if asked right after the playoffs. Z has been moved to the second line with second line forwards. Datsyuk plays with Holmstrom and either Hossa or Zetterberg in most cases. The constant partner changing has affected Hank's game. If you look at penalty-killing minutes, key face-offs, and maybe intangible leadership qualities (not abilities) I think you can give an edge to Zetterberg, just as we always have prior to this year. Datsyuk is always going to stand out more when you watch. He makes prettier plays, fancier moves, etc. But with all that vastly superior talent, shouldn't his numbers be vastly superior to Z's? Two different styles, pretty close statistically...it's just a matter of preference.

Martin Brodeur 538 New Jersey Tony Esposito 418 Chicago Terry Sawchuk 352 Detroit Jacques Plante 311 Montreal Billy Smith 304 New York Islanders Chris Osgood 299 Detroit Here's to a win tonight and much respect to a goalie who I feel is worthy of the Hall of Fame. 17 more wins to 400. 8 more until he is in the top 10 all-time. Hopefully a total of 4-5 Stanley Cups.

Zetterberg's ready to go, has the contract negotiations off his shoulders, and has 15 goals and 13 assists in 21 career games against Phoenix. I am calling it now...he scores at least two goals and an assist or gets a hat-trick tonight.

If I can do it, you can do it!

With his goal and two assists tonight Lidstrom passed Fedorov for 4th place on the Red Wings all-time scoring leaders list with 956 points. Congrats to the Captain!

Thats actually a great question. They should both be very close to 500 at the end of next season. Z will pass him then and beat him to 500.

The Sonics are a horrible example to use. They moved because ownership (starbuck) sold to an Oklahoma billionaire that had no intention of keeping the team in Seattle. Despite 40 years of history, a championship, AND no attendance issues, plenty of fan support (Seattle is the the 13th largest market and the economy isn't as much of an issue) the league chose not to support Seattle. There is a lot of after-the-fact politics involved with the city not wanting to meet the financial demands of the OK ownership...etc. If anything the departure of the Sonics leaves and empty arena (needs renovation) and a hole in the 13th largest market...making it a possible future home of an NHL team that needs to re-locate. hmmmm.....

Contract talks may be heating up between Henrik Zetterberg and the Red Wings. Both camps have made counter-offers and we're talking long-term deal, anywhere from seven to 10 years in length. Agent Marc Levine and GM Ken Holland met last week and then spoke again this past Wednesday. They plan to pick up the conversation again this week. -Pierre Lebrun

I have already been keeping a spreadsheet that projects this for Zetterberg. If you take Zetterberg's career averages to date and project them out until he is 40 years old he would finish with about 580+ goals, 675+ assists, and over 1290 games played....even if he misses 10 games a season on average. Zetterberg and Datsyuk should finish 4th and 5th on the Wings all-time scoring list, which you can find here.

5-3 Wings Hossa, Zetterberg, Hudler, Franzen, and Lidstrom

I am pretty sure that Osgood's job is safe. Conklin is a very solid back-up, which is what he has been for his entire career. The guy who needs to worry about a job is Jimmy Howard who is being outplayed by Daniel Larsson in the AHL. Conklin is making a strong case to be re-signed and Howard can't be sent down next year without clearing waivers. He could be traded for a draft pick or ultimately let go.

That's right...It shouldn't be who can cheat the system. I think you should have to register and you only get to vote once. What's the point of seeing the Wings vs Habs in the ASG? I want to see the All-stars who deserve to be there.

Wrong...the chemistry between Hossa and Datsyuk is not the same as it was between Zetterberg and Datsyuk, especially defensively. Second...Z has not found chemistry with the second line. Hossa might. Now you have two lines with chemistry vice one...

A roster shake-up should look more like this Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom Hossa-Franzen-Hudler Cleary-Filppula-Samuelsson Maltby-Draper-Kopecky McCarty Lidstrom-Kronwall Rafalski-Stuart Lilja-Meech I really would like to re-unite Pavel and Hank. They are a strong defensive pairing as well as a top scoring unit. You don't lose anything with Hossa to the second line with Franzen and Hudler and might get better chemistry. I wish I could get Maltby out of the lineup and replace him with Lieno, Helm, Abdelkader...but I can't. Shake up the D a little two...solidify it by pairing a hitter with a playmaker on each pair.

Zetterberg had no points, was a -1, had only four shots on goal, and got a penalty in three games 25-28 October, 2006 in the midst of a nine-game pointless streak with a -2 and six PIM. I think he will somehow recover from this point-per-game, +2, 14 shots-on-goal tailspin that he is in.

Sorry, if this is a repeat topic. I haven't seen it recently. You hear a lot about how it's too hard to repeat, it just doesn't happen that often. It's true that it is a lot harder than it used to be (with more teams, salary caps, free-agency, etc.). But, I would argue that the Wings are due to repeat if you look at the history of Stanley Cup winners. The ten years that has gone by since the last time the Wings won back-to-back Cups is the longest stretch without repeat winners ever. Teams have won back-to-back championships in every decade except this one, and this year (2009)is the last chance to do it. 97, 98 Detroit 91, 92 Pittsburgh 87, 88 Edmonton 84, 85 Edmonton 80, 81, 82,83 Islanders 76, 77, 78, 79 Montreal 74, 75 Philadelphia 68, 69 Montreal 65, 66 Montreal 62, 63, 64 Toronto 56, 57, 58, 59, 60 Montreal 54, 55 Detroit 47, 48, 49 Toronto

He'll start working out later this year....sign with the Wings for minimum around the deadline...win the cup...retire.