pavel datsyuk completely bombing this season

[Marty Barry 230]

Living here and Columbus and attending as many Blue Jacket games as I can, I'll say one thing. CBJ wish they had a slumping Pavs. And a slumping Z too for that matter. I really do think that they will all turn it up for the playoffs. Assuming they play well enough to get there.

[Guest ZetterbergFourty]

He's pulling an Osgood, of course.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

He's pulling an Osgood, of course.

except Ozzy showed up last playoffs. Zing!

*running for cover*

[king_malice 17]

datsyuk is use to playing with franzen the closest thing the wings have to a pure goal scorer !...zetterberg is awsome but both ways not a sniper kinda way, pav played alot last year with franzen and hossa so his numbers went crazy. the wings need a pure goal scorer for pav its probably a 1 in a million shot but imagine if pav had kovalchuk or a guy like that to play with every game...on another note i think the should get helm working with pav in practice if helm was a better finisher with his speed he would terrorize defense.

[Phazon 24]

This site is really a joke sometimes. Over the last season this team has lost:

Marian Hossa

Jiri Hudler

Mikael Samuelsson

and replaced them with Bertuzzi and Eaves.

Bertuzzi played like garbage for 50% of this year, Williams was irrelevant until he got injured. The only true goal scorer outside of Zetterberg, Franzen, has been injured for the majority of the season. And you are all complaining about our play making center not putting up points?

Id hate to break it to you but hes getting very little help. Lidstrom scoring a goal once every 40 games, Rafalski being a ghost offensively, accounts for $14 million dollars. Franzen, Filppula, Cleary and Williams have all spent significant time on the IR.

And still, people complain.. Its truly amazing. Datsyuk isn't Ovechkin or Kovalchuk, he never will be. Hes a PLAY MAKING CENTER, surrounded by 3rd line players.

Where were these topics last season when Zetterberg finished with 70 points on the season? All of the blame falls on Datsyuk's shoulders, who is probably playing better defensively than he ever has, while Lidstrom, Rafalski and Zetterberg get a pass?

On pace for points this season:

Datsyuk: 59

Zetterberg: 65

Lidstrom: 39

Rafalski: 34

Franzen: 24

Filppula: 32

Kronwall: 34

Bertuzzi: 46

Eaves: 22

Williams: 22

------ 377 points

Last season:

Datsyuk: 97

Zetterberg: 73

Lidstrom: 59

Rafalski: 59

Franzen: 59

Filppula: 40

Kronwall: 51

Hossa: 71

Hudler: 57

Samuelsson: 40

------ 606 points

Apparently if Datsyuk was a true superstar, he would be on pace for 300 points to make up for the loss?

This team is dramatically worse than last season and don't even start by comparing them to teams like San Jose, Washington or Pittsburgh. Heatley/Thornton/Marleau/Blake/Boyle/etc, Ovechkin/Backstrom/Green/Semin/etc, and Crosby/Malkin/Gonchar/etc vs Datsyuk/Zetterberg at 50%/IR/IR/IR/IR.

Pavel may be struggling some what but the passes are there. Lidstom and Rafalski aren't capitalizing and hes playing with Todd Bertuzzi, whom nearly everyone of you thought was washed up completely. Datsyuk isn't exactly in good company.

Its safe to say that a Detroit team hasn't experienced THIS much turnover in one off season in 20 years. And id wager to bet that no Wings team in the last 20 years has been this sparse with talent for such a high payroll.

lidstrom is 40 years old this year, jesus, sooner or later the age and 21 seasons in the NHL take its toll. He is excused.

[Krayzie_Bone 58]

Give me a break can you imagine where the Red Wings would be without Datsyuk? Think about it he spent most the year playing with Leino, Bertuzzi and Holmerstrom. Leino is garbage. I love Betruzzi but he has only come on lately and Holmerstom has been good. Its not like hes playing with Franzen or Zetterberg all year.

[Guest lilja4mvp]

the thing about datsyuk is that he has no killer instinct. he has no extra gear. paval datsyuk in game 7 of the SCF looks like pavel datsyuk in game 5 of the preseason, with the possible exception of hounding someone on the backcheck. the team needs him to step up more than ever and he simply is not capable of taking his game to another level.

period.

[Carman 387]

Tell you what Pavel/Zetterberg played lights out today. Hopefully they can look like this a lot more towards the end of the season.

[dicksmack 33]

except Ozzy showed up last playoffs. Zing!

*running for cover*

All except game 7 of course. This thread is a joke. Datsyuk sets up his linemates multiple times every game the way a playmaker should.

[Stiffy 0]

Since when does saying a 7 million dollar player is underperforming mean you are saying:

1. His career is over

2. He sucks

3. You hate him

4. Bertuzzi sucks

and so on.

No wonder Detroit can't get its s*** together, nobody can accept the tiniest bit of truth about a problem.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I guess his wife went shopping with a Russian woman yesterday, because Datsyuk looked awesome today.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

All except game 7 of course. This thread is a joke. Datsyuk sets up his linemates multiple times every game the way a playmaker should.

like I said, completely bombing is a total exaggeration.

But I've seen most of the games this season, and more often than not he hasn't looked like himself offensively. No crazy moves, not great passing, no big hits. It's not like he's been making great passes all year long and guys are flubbing them. Sure the lack of talent around him is a partial factor, but in a lot of games, he just hasn't looked like Datsyuk of last season.

[dicksmack 33]

This asinine thread has "completely bombing" in place of "underperforming" there Sherlock...

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

This asinine thread has "completely bombing" in place of "underperforming" there Sherlock...

Not sure if I'm supposed to be Sherlock or not. But pretty much everything on LGW is hyperbole. This still seems like the best place to discuss Dats underperforming, rather than create a new thread.

[bconnan 0]

lidstrom is 40 years old this year, jesus, sooner or later the age and 21 seasons in the NHL take its toll. He is excused.

Lidstrom is the highest paid player on the team by a fair margain and hasn't produced this season. To put all of the blame on one guy(Datsyuk) when the captain and allegedlly one of the best defenseman of all time is slumping massively is ridiculous. If you're going to get insane amounts of respect based on past performance and you're the highest paid player on the team because of said performance, than you need to take your fair share of respondsibility when this team is doing horribly.

Datsyuk HAS performed with a bare bones Red Wings squad. As a matter of fact, he usually performs at a higher level without Zetterberg in the lineup. You have one of the premier playmakers in the game playing with third line grinding wingers and a streaky Todd Bertuzzi and you're wondering why hes not producing?

[titanium2 867]

Nick Lidstrom has 2 goals, 12 assists and is +10 in his past 15 games. He's starting to catch on.

[Icesurfer 75]

Sunday's game against Chicago was the first game ALL year that Datsyuk and Zetterberg looked good playing together. Let's hope it continues. So is it because Bertuzzi is on that line instead of Homer?????

[Kwame_Kilpatrick 0]

yes i think so it is a high chance, remember homer is bad, whenever homer is out it's like 4.5 on 5 for the other team

[skyphoenix 153]

Give me a break can you imagine where the Red Wings would be without Datsyuk? Think about it he spent most the year playing with Leino, Bertuzzi and Holmerstrom. Leino is garbage. I love Betruzzi but he has only come on lately and Holmerstom has been good. Its not like hes playing with Franzen or Zetterberg all year.

Datsyuk on pace for under 60 points when he has had over 90 points for 2 seasons and 87 points for 2 seasons is underperforming and trying to blame other players as well is pointless. Zetterberg had 73 points last season and is on pace for 65 points this season. There's a big difference between dropping 8 points and dropping 30+.

Also, Zetterberg was playing with Leino a lot more than Datsyuk ever did so using Leino being on Datsyuk's wing as an excuse is laughable.

EDIT: I also want to throw in that I have nothing against Datsyuk and think he has looked good in certain games. It's just an undeniable fact that he is underperforming.

Edited January 19, 2010 by skyphoenix

[bconnan 0]

Datsyuk on pace for under 60 points when he has had over 90 points for 2 seasons and 87 points for 2 seasons is underperforming and trying to blame other players as well is pointless. Zetterberg had 73 points last season and is on pace for 65 points this season. There's a big difference between dropping 8 points and dropping 30+.

Also, Zetterberg was playing with Leino a lot more than Datsyuk ever did so using Leino being on Datsyuk's wing as an excuse is laughable.

EDIT: I also want to throw in that I have nothing against Datsyuk and think he has looked good in certain games. It's just an undeniable fact that he is underperforming.

The ENTIRE team is either injured or underperforming. 30 points isn't that much of a drop off considering on ice personel.

[titanium2 867]

Pavel Datsyuk

ASSETS: Plays a very patient game with the puck. Sets up his linemates with aplomb and scores highlight-reel goals. Also possesses outstanding defensive instincts and face-off skills.

FLAWS: Could use more bulk on his 5-11 frame to better handle physical defenders. Is a little inconsistent in the goal-scoring department. Doesn't always play with enough emotion.

CAREER POTENTIAL: Elite two-way forward.

Yeah sometimes he looks a little off. Sometimes he can get away with it. This year I guess he can't.

[Konnan511 1,736]

Got bored and dragged this up from 2001:

Datsyuk is a great talent that has developed into a very good all-round

player with NHL future ahead of him (it depends on him).

Datsyuk has got great speed, very good playmaking skills, incredible

hockey sense, and great willingness to stick handle through traffic in high

speed. During the last season he has grown a bit and started to play

more aggressively, and that is a good sign if he want`s to play in NHL.

Datsyuk has got an offer from Detroit, but he has decided to stay

another year in Russia. He could come over in 2002/2003 season.