Paging Datsyuk

[Cruiser008 37]

Firstly I must say GREAT win last night.

Now that the dust has cleared I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate; I'm still concerned with one Pavel Datyuk, our $44.9 million dollar man. While this year's playoffs have been his best yet, he is still pretty much invicible on the road (when the opposition matches Datsyuk's line with their shut-down line/D-pairing). Both last night and in Game 3 he was a non-factor. Moreover in 5 road games thus far Datsyuk has 0 pts and is a brutal -4. In fact in 25 career playoff games Datsyuk has 1 goal, 4 assists and is a -7. We may defeat the Sharks, but if we are to go further Datsyuk needs to buckle down and perform on the road as well as the JLA.

P.S. Zetterberg needs to step up on the road too as he also has 0 pts and is a -4 in 5 playoff games, although it's likely that he's still not fully recovered from that bad back.

Edited May 3, 2007 by Cruiser008

[superstarsingh 23]

They'll both show up on Saturday being that the game is in Detroit.

[Elshupacabra 0]

That fourth line of San Jose has really been covering the Datsyuk line really well, I'm not worried about it he'll find some space and score some goals.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

They'll both show up on Saturday being that the game is in Detroit.

That's the thing. We need them to show up on the road, and they haven't yet this playoffs.

To get past San Jose and to get anywhere in the next round, we need our top two forwards producing on the road as well as at home.

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

Firstly I must say GREAT win last night.

Now that the dust has cleared I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate; I'm still concerned with one Pavel Datyuk, our $44.9 million dollar man. While this year's playoffs have been his best yet, he is still pretty much invincible on the road (when the opposition matches Datsyuk's line with their shut-down line/D-pairing). Both last night and in Game 3 he was a non-factor. Moreover in 5 road games thus far Datsyuk has 0 pts and is a brutal -4. In fact in 25 career playoff games Datsyuk has 1 goal, 4 assists and is a -7. We may defeat the Sharks, but if we are to go further Datsyuk needs to buckle down and perform on the road as well as the JLA.

P.S. Zetterberg needs to step up on the road too as he also has 0 pts and is a -4 in 5 playoff games, although it's likely that he's still not fully recovered from that bad back.

I do agree however if teams are forced to put there best shut down players against them it should be able to make a mismatch most games with are other lines, the inability of the other 3 lines not being able to put the puck in the net is in no way there fault Dats and Zet are doing just fine there is more to the game then scoring goals

[Zion 93]

Firstly I must say GREAT win last night.

Now that the dust has cleared I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate; I'm still concerned with one Pavel Datyuk, our $44.9 million dollar man. While this year's playoffs have been his best yet, he is still pretty much invincible on the road (when the opposition matches Datsyuk's line with their shut-down line/D-pairing). Both last night and in Game 3 he was a non-factor.

Did you mean INVISIBLE?

I believe you have failed.

[Hank 0]

Firstly I must say GREAT win last night.

Now that the dust has cleared I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate; I'm still concerned with one Pavel Datyuk, our $44.9 million dollar man. While this year's playoffs have been his best yet, he is still pretty much invincible on the road (when the opposition matches Datsyuk's line with their shut-down line/D-pairing). Both last night and in Game 3 he was a non-factor. Moreover in 5 road games thus far Datsyuk has 0 pts and is a brutal -4. In fact in 25 career playoff games Datsyuk has 1 goal, 4 assists and is a -7. We may defeat the Sharks, but if we are to go further Datsyuk needs to buckle down and perform on the road as well as the JLA.

P.S. Zetterberg needs to step up on the road too as he also has 0 pts and is a -4 in 5 playoff games, although it's likely that he's still not fully recovered from that bad back.

I thought both of them generated some good chances in last nights game, but at the same time it's hard to argue what you've written. There have been many games since Game 2 of the opening round where I haven't noticed either of them. And both, especially Datsyuk, still seem to like playing from the far outside more than go into the middle of the ice.

Like you said, we're going to need both of these guys to step up if we even want to sniff the Cup. I still think splitting them up and letting Zetts centre the 2nd line is the best way to go.

EDIT: The one thing that bothers me is watching how Thornton is playing compared to Datsyuk. Dats wanted Thornton money but he sure isn't playing like him. I know they play different styles but this team needs either him or Zetts to step up and carry the offensive load. All the contending teams have a player like that. The Wings need their $50M man to show them he's worth the investment.

Edited May 3, 2007 by Hank

[regwinguofmfan 0]

Dats had two goals last series against Calgary. Included a clutch goal in the last game.

What do you want from these guys?

They spend half their time on the ice on the PK.

If we want to ***** at players to step it up look no further that Lidstrom, Schneider, Maltby, Draper and Bertuzzi.

Calder gets a pass because he is hurt.

Dats is a monster in the boards and draws two guys all game.

he and zetts are the only guys who can skate and pass apparently.

The other guys need to pick up their play and help the hard working guys out a little.

[superstarsingh 23]

That's the thing. We need them to show up on the road, and they haven't yet this playoffs.

To get past San Jose and to get anywhere in the next round, we need our top two forwards producing on the road as well as at home.

I know. Hoepfully they can get it going.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Dats had two goals last series against Calgary. Included a clutch goal in the last game.

What do you want from these guys?

They spend half their time on the ice on the PK.

If we want to ***** at players to step it up look no further that Lidstrom, Schneider, Maltby, Draper and Bertuzzi.

Calder gets a pass because he is hurt.

Dats is a monster in the boards and draws two guys all game.

he and zetts are the only guys who can skate and pass apparently.

The other guys need to pick up their play and help the hard working guys out a little.

I want them to score on the road. Between the two of them they have zero points in all the away games.

I'm not saying they've played poorly, but they're getting shut down on the road. They'd had good chances, but haven't potted any. San Jose is a tough team and we need offense from our top two guys.

And you want to ***** about Lidstrom? 3 goals, 7 assists. having to contain guys like Iginla and Thornton every game?

Edited May 3, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

Dats had two goals last series against Calgary. Included a clutch goal in the last game.

What do you want from these guys?

They spend half their time on the ice on the PK.

If we want to ***** at players to step it up look no further that Lidstrom, Schneider, Maltby, Draper and Bertuzzi.

Calder gets a pass because he is hurt.

Dats is a monster in the boards and draws two guys all game.

he and zetts are the only guys who can skate and pass apparently.

The other guys need to pick up their play and help the hard working guys out a little.

[WingNutt 12]

Not trying to argue but I have to disagree, I think Datsyuk has been playing phenomenal lately. and not just because I'm the biggest Datsyuk fan either.

He has been playing strong in the corners and helping out huge on d. with his stripping puck skills and his backchecking. His offense has been steady, even though he hasn't scored a lot on the road he has still be a presence on the ice, He is allowing other players to be open due to the other teams double teaming and sometimes triple teaming him, hounding Datsyuk and Zetterberg while Homer sets up out front and Lids and Schieds rip shots from the point.

and don't forget how close Datsyuk was last night to scoring 20 seconds into overtime, If the puck wouldn't have been on edge he would have buried the shot. Datsyuk has been working hard and playing with a lot of heart something a lot of the skeptics on the forums were talking about. He has shown a lot of emotion and desire this year in the playoffs and I expect to see great things from him and Zetterberg for the remainder of the post season as well as next season and beyond.

don't worry Datsyuk will come through.

[Hank 0]

Dats had two goals last series against Calgary. Included a clutch goal in the last game.

What do you want from these guys?

They spend half their time on the ice on the PK.

If we want to ***** at players to step it up look no further that Lidstrom, Schneider, Maltby, Draper and Bertuzzi.

Calder gets a pass because he is hurt.

Dats is a monster in the boards and draws two guys all game.

he and zetts are the only guys who can skate and pass apparently.

The other guys need to pick up their play and help the hard working guys out a little.

I want more from them. Other players in Wings history have done it and found another gear.

Lidstrom? Doesn't he lead this team in scoring?

Draper and Maltby? Are you kidding me? Their line has been the most consistant and hard working out of all 4. They're also not paid over $7M a year to score goals. Datsyuk is.

Schneider has played pretty well and he has almost as many points as Dats despite playing the PK and PP and being a dman.

Bertuzzi? He's still not 100% but I do agree that he deserves criticism. And if you look around on these boards, he's gotten it.

Edited May 3, 2007 by Hank

[Kp-Wings 3]

Zetterberg has been fairly useless for the majority of this series, with the exception of Game 2. You can tell he is not 100%, and I will back Matt's thoughts here and say he will have back surgery in the offseason.

Datsyuk scored the game winner in Game 2, and hasn't been all that bad this series. Still expecting more out him with his elephant sized contract, but he hasn't been horrible.

[Lidstromrules16 7]

Dats played great last night, I dont know what game you were watching

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Zetterberg has been fairly useless for the majority of this series, with the exception of Game 2. You can tell he is not 100%, and I will back Matt's thoughts here and say he will have back surgery in the offseason.

Datsyuk scored the game winner in Game 2, and hasn't been all that bad this series. Still expecting more out him with his elephant sized contract, but he hasn't been horrible.

Exactly.

Thornton is the go-to, big contract guy on San Jose and he's stepped up in a big way. Dats is the go-to big money guy on Detroit, we need him to step up too.

And Hank has had moments, but is nowhere near the force he was before his injury.

Edited May 3, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Dats had two goals last series against Calgary. Included a clutch goal in the last game.

What do you want from these guys?

They spend half their time on the ice on the PK.

If we want to ***** at players to step it up look no further that Lidstrom, Schneider, Maltby, Draper and Bertuzzi.

Calder gets a pass because he is hurt.

Dats is a monster in the boards and draws two guys all game.

he and zetts are the only guys who can skate and pass apparently.

The other guys need to pick up their play and help the hard working guys out a little.

Are you serious about calling out Lidstrom? I'm sorry but that is insane.

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

I thought both of them generated some good chances in last nights game, but at the same time it's hard to argue what you've written. There have been many games since Game 2 of the opening round where I haven't noticed either of them. And both, especially Datsyuk, still seem to like playing from the far outside more than go into the middle of the ice.

Like you said, we're going to need both of these guys to step up if we even want to sniff the Cup. I still think splitting them up and letting Zetts centre the 2nd line is the best way to go.

EDIT: The one thing that bothers me is watching how Thornton is playing compared to Datsyuk. Dats wanted Thornton money but he sure isn't playing like him. I know they play different styles but this team needs either him or Zetts to step up and carry the offensive load. All the contending teams have a player like that. The Wings need their $50M man to show them he's worth the investment.

To show he is worth the investment on this I do agree but Thorton is twice the size of Dats hell he is the size of Dats and Zets combined you can not expect him to muck it out in the corners like that he is not built for thatb type of punishment

[WingNutt 12]

Dats played great last night, I dont know what game you were watching

the haters have arrived once again, but at a strange strange time

Talking about how you want "MORE" from Datsyuk, well whos to say he doesen't want "MORE" support from the fans?

nothing is ever good enough.

Edited May 3, 2007 by WingNutt

[Zion 93]

Dats had two goals last series against Calgary. Included a clutch goal in the last game.

What do you want from these guys?

They spend half their time on the ice on the PK.

If we want to ***** at players to step it up look no further that Lidstrom, Schneider, Maltby, Draper and Bertuzzi.

Calder gets a pass because he is hurt.

Dats is a monster in the boards and draws two guys all game.

he and zetts are the only guys who can skate and pass apparently.

The other guys need to pick up their play and help the hard working guys out a little.

Are you serious? This is the stupidest post I've read all day.

I want more from them. Other players in Wings history have done it and found another gear.

Lidstrom? Doesn't he lead this team in scoring?

Draper and Maltby? Are you kidding me? Their line has been the most consistant and hard working out of all 4. They're also not paid over $7M a year to score goals. Datsyuk is.

Schneider has played pretty well and he has almost as many points as Dats despite playing the PK and PP and being a dman.

Bertuzzi? He's still not 100% but I do agree that he deserves criticism. And if you look around on these boards, he's gotten it.

Thank you.

[Hank 0]

To show he is worth the investment on this I do agree but Thorton is twice the size of Dats hell he is the size of Dats and Zets combined you can not expect him to muck it out in the corners like that he is not built for thatb type of punishment

That's why I said that both play different styles. But it doesn't excuse Datsyuk from not producing. Steve Yzerman was smaller and had one leg and he produced more in his last years than Datsyuk.

I'm not asking the guy to run guys through the boards, but he's paid to produce goals, not chances. He needs to start putting points on the board.

[bringback91 2]

There's more to playing a good game than what shows up on the stat sheet. He's played good and so has Z. The Wings have a good run going this year so far, Dats has been a big part of it. I think it's funny how some are now going to get picky about how much and where he scores. Although I've said all along when he does let his play speak for itself and produces, some will never be satisfied. Eh, I think him and the team have done pretty well so far, and surpassed the experts and most fans around here's expectations. I find Devils advocates rather annoying. No offence or anything.

[WingNutt 12]

That's why I said that both play different styles. But it doesn't excuse Datsyuk from not producing. Steve Yzerman was smaller and had one leg and he produced more in his last years than Datsyuk.

I'm not asking the guy to run guys through the boards, but he's paid to produce goals, not chances. He needs to start putting points on the board.

how long have you been following hockey again??

[regwinguofmfan 0]

You want to blame Datz and Zett for not scoring but Maltby and Draper get a pass?

Datts and Zetts have been just as good or better defensivly and on the PK.

Im happy Lidstrom has two goals, but has not played that great on D at all again this year.

Lilja has been our best D man, Cheli has been solid as well.

You guys always overlook the poor play of old time wings on this board.

Maltby should not have been resigned, Draper couldnt score in an empty net and Lidstrom has lost a few steps and besides his amazing poke check and shooting ability gets woked over alot now a days.

I love these guys too, but you have to face the facts, they are not what they used to be.

Who has played better in the playoffs so far? Datz, Zetta, Cleary, Holmstom and Franzen or Lidstrom, Schneider, Draper and Maltby.

[WingNutt 12]

Who is leading the Wings in playoff goals again?