Zetterberg Article

[CenterIce 83]

http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app/?service=...rticleid=337920

[Naslund19 0]

It's always a good thing when your younger guys know now that a lot of the veterans are gone, they are going to have to step it up this season if they want to make it into the playoffs. It should be interesting to see how well we do, and how much Zetterberg and Datsyuk step it up this year. All though it's going to take a team effort to make it anywhere, those two are going to have to be our "leaders".

[superstarsingh 23]

I love that. He knows his role and he knows it well. Exactly why he is the next captain, great leadership.

[Opie 308]

Whomever made the decision to sit him next to Yzerman deserves some credit, right after his family, and Stevie. This kid has a great attitude and has the skill to go with it. He is the real deal and in a few years when He and Dats are in their prime, they are going to be fun to watch and easy to root for!

[WingMachine91 0]

those lines sound horrible. they seem like the most random lines.

franzen dats holmstrom. what the hell is that? the only line that sounds ok is hudler zetter and sammy.

i think flip dats and holmstrom line would be the best choice to go with. plus they played great together in the absence of zetter towards the end of the season.

i think a kopecky drake and franzen line would be good, and the draper maltby cleary.

so to start of the season, i think the best lines would go like this

flippula datsyuk holmstrom

hudler zetterberg sammy

maltby draper cleary

drake kopecky franzen

i dont know about u, but those lines make alot of sense to me. at least to start the year off

[Opie 308]

Que?

[norrisnick 1]

those lines sound horrible. they seem like the most random lines.

franzen dats holmstrom. what the hell is that? the only line that sounds ok is hudler zetter and sammy.

i think flip dats and holmstrom line would be the best choice to go with. plus they played great together in the absence of zetter towards the end of the season.

i think a kopecky drake and franzen line would be good, and the draper maltby cleary.

so to start of the season, i think the best lines would go like this

flippula datsyuk holmstrom

hudler zetterberg sammy

maltby draper cleary

drake kopecky franzen

i dont know about u, but those lines make alot of sense to me. at least to start the year off

Franzen has been a beast on the Datsyuk/Holmstrom line all preseason long. It works.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

lol, The Mule-Dats-Homer line is gonna be much better then the Rex-Z-Sammywhosucks line.

[Henkka 0]

those lines sound horrible. they seem like the most random lines.

Yes, we beat Rangers 6-1 with those really horrible lines.

The sky is falling! Help me with those horrible lines!

[Feldmarschall 9]

Franzen's play has been very impressive, and Hank can score pretty well even without Pavel setting him up. They'll still be together on the first PP unit, so I wouldn't particularly worry about offense. If the preseason is any indication of what we can expect, it should be a very successful season when we've got our full lineup.

[Guest Yzer19]

Not too bad of an article. The only thing I didn't like was the blurb at the end about it not mattering who you are, whether your or veteran or not. Babcock's lack of respect for the veterans cost us the cup 2 years in a row. Asking veterans to compete with players that are half their age isn't a good idea. That's how injuries happen. Veterans know when to step it up (playoffs) and when not to (meaningless regular season games). I bet Zetterberg is going to be singing a different tune when he becomes that aging proven veteran with back problems or other injury problems and he can no longer compete with the younger players, but yet he still wants to play and to win cups and reach milestones.

Edited September 26, 2007 by Yzer19

[Cicada 4]

Not too bad of an article. The only thing I didn't like was the blurb at the end about it not mattering who you are, whether your or veteran or not. Babcock's lack of respect for the veterans cost us the cup 2 years in a row. Asking veterans to compete with players that are half their age isn't a good idea. That's how injuries happen. Veterans know when to step it up (playoffs) and when not to (meaningless regular season games). I bet Zetterberg is going to be singing a different tune when he becomes that aging proven veteran with back problems or other injury problems and he can no longer compete with the younger players, but yet he still wants to play and to win cups and reach milestones.

i utterly disagree with that.

a lot of the "veterans" had got lazy under Lewis. Babcock did exactly what he needed to do

[Guest Yzer19]

i utterly disagree with that.

a lot of the "veterans" had got lazy under Lewis. Babcock did exactly what he needed to do

and it cost the Wings 2 cups.

If Babcock is such a great coach then why did Anaheim fire him? Why did they win a cup as soon as they got rid of him? Babcock has no idea how to handle veterans.

[Cicada 4]

you think the Wings would have won cups the last two years if Babcock had let veterans do their own thing?

are you really that misguided?

and Anaheim didn't fire him. They just didn't renew his contract, which was his decision as much as theirs. They wanted to give him a 1 year deal, Babcock wanted more security.

And their winning a cup had nothing to do with losing Babcock. Babcock got a really bad Anaheim team to the finals in 2003.

I'd say anyone could coach a team to the cup when they've got 2 of the 3 best defensemen in the game in the last 10 years on the same side.

[Guest Yzer19]

you think the Wings would have won cups the last two years if Babcock had let veterans do their own thing?

are you really that misguided?

and Anaheim didn't fire him. They just didn't renew his contract, which was his decision as much as theirs. They wanted to give him a 1 year deal, Babcock wanted more security.

And their winning a cup had nothing to do with losing Babcock. Babcock got a really bad Anaheim team to the finals in 2003.

I'd say anyone could coach a team to the cup when they've got 2 of the 3 best defensemen in the game in the last 10 years on the same side.

Yes, I do think the Wings would've won cups the last two years. Veterans are big part of winning cups. Bowman won 3 cups because he knew how to treat veterans and how to get the most of them. Babcock is completely clueless.

I went back and read the article again. This article just seems like a slap in the face to veterans. Again they are being used as props. Zetterberg credits the deep playoff run as a learning experience, but gives no credit to playing with the veterans. IMO the Wings organization just seems to have a lack of respect for it's veterans especially Yzerman and Shanny. The way they keep slamming them is disgusting. No names were mentioned but you know who Zetterberg meant when he said retired and switched teams.

[Opie 308]

Cicada,

Be careful here, Yzer19 is also of the opinion that:

1. The Wings (players) forced Yzerman to retire.

2. That a wings roster that includes Yzerman wins the cup last year.

3. That Yzerman is only retired because the wings forced him to, and that when Yzerman says he can't play any more, he is just saying it.

Dave Lewis could not get this team to play worth a crap in the post season.

Do you want to know why Bowman got so much out of his teams. Because even if you were a dead set lock for the HOF he made you play, he expected the best out of you night in and night out.

Hell he made Feds play D, Yzerman play the 3rd line, he did lots of crap like that because it was what the team needed.

Remember Babcock took a team that was "rebuilding" and picked to go nowhere all the way to the WCF.

Yzer19,

Do you know why Yzerman was so revered as a leader and a role model?

Because no matter what his stats were from the past game or past season, no matter who thought he was going to the hall, no matter what anyone said (except the coach) he went out and played his ass off. He never took a shift off because he was a veteran, or because he was going to the HOF.

Now not every player can be Steve Yzerman, but every player has the ability to go out and play every shift hard.

And for the one million and first time (sorry the millionth person won a car, you were close though)....

The wings lost the wcf because of a bad bounce and an ineffective power play, not because of coaching.

Another thing:

Just because Zetterberg doesn't say the vets helped us doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate them. Do you know the question he was asked that prompted that response. It could have been how did last year help the young guys? It could also be that maybe he was asked how losing helps them move on as a team. Just because a wing player doesn't proclaim Yzerman the best player ever and praise the vets in an interview that doesn't mean he is disrespecting his teammates past or present.

Edited September 26, 2007 by Opie

[isbister 0]

and it cost the Wings 2 cups.

If Babcock is such a great coach then why did Anaheim fire him? Why did they win a cup as soon as they got rid of him? Babcock has no idea how to handle veterans.

Is this guy serious?

Babcock (beer) is the perfect coach for the orginization right now. I thought he had the boys flying in the post season, yet they fell short. I don't think they fell short cause of lack of effort though. I think they fell short cause they played a team just as good as them that had some big bounces in big moments.

To respond to the crap about "Babs in Anaheim". Do you remember the team that he faced in the first round of those playoffs? A team with Feds, lids and Stevie Y...........? He SWEPT them. Doesn't know how to treat his vets? Do you by chance remember the job he had Ruchin do? Come on with that bulls*** man.

[Guest Yzer19]

Is this guy serious?

Babcock (beer) is the perfect coach for the orginization right now. I thought he had the boys flying in the post season, yet they fell short. I don't think they fell short cause of lack of effort though. I think they fell short cause they played a team just as good as them that had some big bounces in big moments.

To respond to the crap about "Babs in Anaheim". Do you remember the team that he faced in the first round of those playoffs? A team with Feds, lids and Stevie Y...........? He SWEPT them. Doesn't know how to treat his vets? Do you by chance remember the job he had Ruchin do? Come on with that bulls*** man.

I remember the team that he faced very well. Fedorov was having issues at the time, both with the Wings and his personal life. Yzerman was just coming back from an experimental knee surgery that was never performed on any other athlete. Any team could've swept that Wings team. The Ducks didn't win the cup anyways.

Like I said before if Babcock was such a great coach then Anaheim wouldn't have let him get away.

[Curban915 0]

Yes, I do think the Wings would've won cups the last two years. Veterans are big part of winning cups. Bowman won 3 cups because he knew how to treat veterans and how to get the most of them. Babcock is completely clueless.

I went back and read the article again. This article just seems like a slap in the face to veterans. Again they are being used as props. Zetterberg credits the deep playoff run as a learning experience, but gives no credit to playing with the veterans. IMO the Wings organization just seems to have a lack of respect for it's veterans especially Yzerman and Shanny. The way they keep slamming them is disgusting. No names were mentioned but you know who Zetterberg meant when he said retired and switched teams.

Just to quote the great Dane Cook... You really are out of your F**king mind.

[Opie 308]

YZER19,

I just re-read that article to make sure I wasn't being harsh on you and unfairly berating you.

You are reading what you want in these articles. The first words out of his mouth are the following:

Me and Pavel (Datsyuk) have had a good opportunity to play with the veteran guys for a few years

As far as the switched teams retire thing:

And naturally some guys switch teams or (retire), so you have to be there to do your best to take over the job.

He is saying that he has to step up to take over the job these guys did. He didn't say, they did a s***ty job and now I am going to show them how it is done.

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.

some how you took this as a slight to the vets. All he is saying is that he learned from it and so haven't the other young guys. He didn't say it was a learning experience and without the vets we would have won.

We all get it, you are having a hard time saying goodbye to Stevie. Do me a favor, go home listen to Boyz II Men's it so hard to say good bye have a good cry and move on.

I partake of the greenery and all man, but you are seriously smoking some crazy s*** if after reading that article twice you think in anyway shape or form that Zetterberg was slighting anyone.

[Guest Yzer19]

Opie, right before Yzerman decided to retire he admitted that his injuries were fine and he good still play. The problem was the Wings wanted to use him as a part-time 4th liner and he wanted to play more than that. You also have to remember that Yzerman is very humble when it comes to his playing abilities. I bet if he was asked who was the better player, Gilchrist or himself, he'd say Gilchrist was the better player. That's just the way Yzerman is.

As for Bowman he just knew how to use veterans properly. Look at Yzerman in 02, he let him sit out for the second half of the season and then allowed him to play in the playoffs. He gave him the ice-time he needed to do his job.

The Wings were not rebuilding last year. They still had the same core with the exception of Yzerman and Shanny. They also significantly upgraded the goal-tending. If anything they retooled. He had a president trophy, playoff caliber team the whole entire time.

Apparently Yzerman is not as revered as I thought. It has nothing to do with a player working their rear ends off. If it did Draper and Maltby would be revered.

I'm not saying Zetterberg needs to proclaim Yzerman as the best ever wing because that's not true. I'm just saying show the guy some respect and give credit where it's due.

What I took as a slight to the vets is that Zetterberg says the deep playoff run was the learning experience not playing with the Vets. His blurb at the bottom about the Vets being treated the same as everyone else was also a slight to the vets. If those vets are no better than anyone else then maybe the Wings shouldn't bother giving them jobs when they retire or even retiring their numbers.

I just need to stop reading these articles. It makes me lose more and more respect for the current team.

Edited September 26, 2007 by Yzer19

[Curban915 0]

YZER19,

I just re-read that article to make sure I wasn't being harsh on you and unfairly berating you.

You are reading what you want in these articles. The first words out of his mouth are the following:

As far as the switched teams retire thing:

He is saying that he has to step up to take over the job these guys did. He didn't say, they did a s***ty job and now I am going to show them how it is done.

some how you took this as a slight to the vets. All he is saying is that he learned from it and so haven't the other young guys. He didn't say it was a learning experience and without the vets we would have won.

We all get it, you are having a hard time saying goodbye to Stevie. Do me a favor, go home listen to Boyz II Men's it so hard to say good bye have a good cry and move on.

I partake of the greenery and all man, but you are seriously smoking some crazy s*** if after reading that article twice you think in anyway shape or form that Zetterberg was slighting anyone.

Opie, right before Yzerman decided to retire he admitted that his injuries were fine and he good still play. The problem was the Wings wanted to use him as a part-time 4th liner and he wanted to play more than that. You also have to remember that Yzerman is very humble when it comes to his playing abilities. I bet if he was asked who was the better player, Gilchrist or himself, he'd say Gilchrist was the better player. That's just the way Yzerman is.

As for Bowman he just knew how to use veterans properly. Look at Yzerman in 02, he let him sit out for the second half of the season and then allowed him to play in the playoffs. He gave him the ice-time he needed to do his job.

The Wings were not rebuilding last year. They still had the same core with the exception of Yzerman and Shanny. They also significantly upgraded the goal-tending. If anything they retooled. He had a president trophy, playoff caliber team the whole entire time.

Apparently Yzerman is not as revered as I thought. It has nothing to do with a player working their rear ends off. If it did Draper and Maltby would be revered.

I'm not saying Zetterberg needs to proclaim Yzerman as the best ever wing because that's not true. I'm just saying show the guy some respect and give credit where it's due.

What I took as a slight to the vets is that Zetterberg says the deep playoff run was the learning experience not playing with the Vets. His blurb at the bottom about the Vets being treated the same as everyone else was also a slight to the vets. If those vets are no better than anyone else then maybe the Wings shouldn't bother giving them jobs or retiring their numbers.

You have no idea what your talking about. You rate right up there with redwings4life dude on here for crazy ass poster of the year.

Edited September 26, 2007 by Curban915

[Opie 308]

All of the quotes or statements I am referring to are coming out of the book put together by the Detroit Free Press callled the Captian, I would say go read it Yzer19, but you would misconstrue it anyways so don't bother. I usually try to let everyone have their own opinion but you are stating your opinion as fact and that is not true.

Opie, right before Yzerman decided to retire he admitted that his injuries were fine and he good still play. The problem was the Wings wanted to use him as a part-time 4th liner and he wanted to play more than that. You also have to remember that Yzerman is very humble when it comes to his playing abilities. I bet if he was asked who was the better player, Gilchrist or himself, he'd say Gilchrist was the better player. That's just the way Yzerman is.

Yzerman never admitted his injuries were "fine", show me an article where he said that. I have read many articles on his departure, Mitch Albom who became a close friend of Steve even said his knees couldn't hold up and his body was beaten. Yzerman was humble, but had very high expectations for himself. He wasn't upset that the wings wanted to use him as a fourth liner, he never cared what his role was. He was upset that his skilled had deminished and he couldn't play to his expectations.

As for Bowman he just knew how to use veterans properly. Look at Yzerman in 02, he let him sit out for the second half of the season and then allowed him to play in the playoffs. He gave him the ice-time he needed to do his job.

Good point lets look at Yzerman in 02, he could barely skate, he was beaten, and Scotty knew he needed him for the playoff run, sort of like Hank got to rest before the playoffs because of his back.

Look what Bowman made Stevie do, he held him accountable in his own end, he made him change his game. Remember Yzerman was a scoring machine and a decent defensive player before Bowman came to town. And if you think for a minute Bowman would let Stevie rest because he was a vet you are very wrong

The Wings were not rebuilding last year. They still had the same core with the exception of Yzerman and Shanny. They also significantly upgraded the goal-tending. If anything they retooled. He had a president trophy, playoff caliber team the whole entire time.

Hasek was a huge question mark, nobody knew what he could provide. Markov was a pickup that nobody knew what he would do. Other substantial ?'s Franzen, Filpula, Cleary, Hudler, Lilja, Kronwall, Could Lids be a leader, could Dats and Z step up. And all Babcock did was take them to the WCF, you are right what a glowing failure. (sigh)

Apparently Yzerman is not as revered as I thought. It has nothing to do with a player working their rear ends off. If it did Draper and Maltby would be revered.

Are you kidding, Maltby and Draper are two of the most revered wings on the team. Look back at what happened when I suggested Maltby was expendable, people ran all up and down me praising his intangibles. And why is Yzerman not as revered, because everytime we post or open our mouths we don't speak of the great Steve Yzerman like you. Stevie Y is the reason I love hockey, the reason I started watching it.

I'm not saying Zetterberg needs to proclaim Yzerman as the best ever wing because that's not true. I'm just saying show the guy some respect and give credit where it's due.

Why on earth would a player in an interview that has nothing to do with Steve Yzerman, and everything to do with his own experiences from last year (as much as you wanted it Yzerman wasn't on the team ) start talking about how great Steve is. That makes no sense, again because you do it doesn't man everyone else should.

What I took as a slight to the vets is that Zetterberg says the deep playoff run was the learning experience not playing with the Vets. His blurb at the bottom about the Vets being treated the same as everyone else was also a slight to the vets. If those vets are no better than anyone else then maybe the Wings shouldn't bother giving them jobs or retiring their numbers.

I don't know for a fact but I can infer that the question that was asked was probably something along the lines of "How did the playoff loss effect you/the team/ the wings?"

Plus Zetterberg is a vet now, why would he say playing with the vets was a learning experience, that would be like saying playing hockey with myself was a great learning experience.

And no saying everyone else was treated the same is a statement about how Babs coach's the team. That is the way the game is played, you go out you bust your ass or you go sit in the press box. That is what he is talking about.

For some reason you have this idea that every statement made is about respect and how people view each other. It is not he is simply making a statement about how the game is played on the ice.

Now if the question was, do you respect Cheli, Lids, Yzerman, Shanny, or whomever else you wanted him to praise, I am sure his answer would have been a lot different.

You need to remember that we do not have the privilege of knowing what question was asked. That is why so many athletes have to come back the next day to explain a quote, because we have no idea what he was asked.

If those vets are no better than anyone else then maybe the Wings shouldn't bother giving them jobs or retiring their numbers.

That is exactly why teams do that stuff, because on the ice everyone goes out and plays their best and gets treated equal. When they hang the skates up if they were outstanding like Yzerman the team puts their number up.

Please Boys II men--> crying --> moving on!! Try it!

[Heaton 1]

and it cost the Wings 2 cups.

If Babcock is such a great coach then why did Anaheim fire him? Why did they win a cup as soon as they got rid of him? Babcock has no idea how to handle veterans.

Anaheim didn't fire him.

[Cicada 4]

i kinda half get the feeling that we're being baited like that drw02 guy used to do....

i'm failing to understand how anyone can be so shortsighted