Is Zetterberg the next Yzerman?

As a lifelong Wings fan, Yzerman lives in rare air. He was the humble superstar who lifted the Wings out of the Dark Ages. An electric scorer, Yzerman was a regular 100 point man through his 20s. With the introduction of the neutral-zone trap, the NHL became drastically more defensive. Yzerman altered his game to match it, culminating in a Selke Trophy in 2000. But that wasn't his only hardware. The 9-time All-star won the revered Conn Smyth after the Wings won the Cup in 1998.

When he retired in 2006, the Hall of Famer scored a staggering 692 goals, with 1,063 assists.

How does a current player compete with that? From a statistical standpoint, it's not possible. In the post-trap NHL, players simply don't tally 155 points in a season, as Yzerman did in 88-89. The league leader in points this year was Henrik Sedin with 112. For the record, Yzerman finished 3rd in 88-89, trailing Gretzky (168) and Lemieux (199).

Like most sports, it's difficult to compare players of different eras, especially statistically. But when I watch Henrik Zetterberg, I am immediately reminded of Yzerman. Why? Zetterberg scored 70 points this year. That would hardly register on the Yzerman radar. Yet, when the Wings lost unceremoniously last weekend, it was Zetterberg who led the charge in Game 4. Zetterberg tipped in the game winning goal. Then he scored again late in the 3rd. It was his 5th goal in 4 games.

He seems to bring his best when the games matter most. Like Yzerman, he'll calmly challenge his team after a loss but more emphatically lead them by example on the ice. While he's not flashy like Datsyuk, he's perhaps the most effective two-way player in the entire NHL. He singlehandedly shut down Crosby in the Cup Finals last year. Entering the Finals with Detroit, Crosby scored 14 goals, with 14 assists in 17 games. That's an average of 1.64 pts/game. In the seven games against the Wings, Crosby notched 1 goal and 2 assists for 0.43 pts/game.

Those that saw the Finals know all too well - Crosby was not a factor. Zetterberg was the difference-maker and would've earned the Conn Smyth had the Wings pulled out Game 7. Zetterberg already has a Conn Smyth on his mantle for the '08 Cup win, which would've been his second in as many years.

In the playoffs, Yzerman averaged 0.94 pts/game. Zetterberg has averaged 0.93. Zetterberg is not Captain, though my guess is he'll take over the mantle when Lidstrom retires. At that point, the comparisons may begin in earnest. For now, in Detroit, there's still only one Yzerman. Yet, I believe we're at risk of taking Zetterberg for granted. Not many players enter the league as a 7th round pick and win a Conn Smyth, and come damn close to winning a second. He's never gonna score 50 goals, but he may just match Yzerman's career playoff points of 185. And isn't the playoffs what Detroiters truly remember? Z is the real deal, and the Wings are lucky to have him.

Another good writeup on Z at detnews.

31 to 16

I'm not the kind of fan that likes to complain about the refs. I understand that bad reffing is part of the game. Yet, I also believe that refs do play a major role. In every sport, they impact the outcome. So, on the rare occasion, it's totally justified to blame the ref. Tonight is such an occasion.

The subject of this post refers to the fouls called during the Pistons/Thunder game. The Pistons were whistled 31 times. The Thunder? 16. I watched the game in awe, as the refs continued to trot Kevin Durant to the free throw stripe every time his foot touched the paint. Sometimes the foul numbers are skewed when one team one shoots jumpers. This was not the case. In fact, the Thunder actually shot more jumpers than the Pistons but they still somehow got 36 free throw attempts to only 16 for the Stones.

Poor Austin Daye. In the first half, the young rook hit a sweet running hook as the shot clock expired... only to get whistled for a charge. Nick Collison, the savvy vet, planted his feet about two feet in front of Daye, but Daye side-stepped him. It didn't matter. Collison leaned into Daye and then fell backwards. Somehow, he got the call.

Yes, I'm angry and bitter and a homer. It's a crappy way to lose. Did the Pistons deserve to win? Probably not. They played the worst defense I've seen yet this year, and, in the 2nd half, their offense reverted (yet again) to Curry-ball. No flow, no motion, no points. They went long, long stretches without scoring a hoop, and Kuester needs to be held accountable. After the loss to New Orleans, I said it was the most disheartening loss since Utah. Well, the Utah loss broke their spirit, and it took a few weeks for the team to recover. I fear the same thing will happen now... with the Lakers looming on Sunday. They need to get that mojo back and keep playing aggressively. The refs won't always suck this badly.

Z
I must apologize for my lack of posts this week, for I was a bit under the weather. If I had been healthier, I would've sung the praises of the make-shift Red Wing lineup which is now on a 4-game winning streak. Last night, they got goals from Drew Miller, Bertuzzi, and Patrick Eaves - three players not on the team last year. I overheard Ken Daniels say Drew Miller now has 4 goals for the year - a career high. It's good to see at least a few guys thrive in the Wings' system.

Unfortunately, Mattias Ohlund absolutely crushed Zetterberg, knocking him out for at least two weeks. To say this is alarming would be an understatement. The Wings just can't catch a break with these injuries. Eight regular players are now out. Here's the hit:

Not your father's Red Wings

But not your brother's either. The more I watch this team, the more I'm reminded how spoiled we've all been. I used to cavalierly believe that the Red Wings' success was due to "the system" - the ironclad Red Wing philosophy that molded unheralded raw nuggets of talent into superstars. The system definitely worked for Ericsson and Helm, but guys like Zetterberg and Datsyuk were already laden with talent when they arrived. The Red Wings deserve credit for identifying and drafting these gems, but they certainly didn't "develop" them. With so many free agent turnover in the offseason, this '09 team is a far cry from years past.

I certainly appreciate the effort of this year's squad, and last night was a great workmanlike win. Yet, I fear we're in for a troubled season. Put simply, the Red Wings don't dominate. We're used to seeing the opposition employ one strategy - defend and counter. They would concede space and try to frustrate the Wings. It would occasionally work, but, over time, the Wings would win 75% of the games. Now, opposing teams attack. They don't fear the defense or the puck control. The Wings don't have the talent to impose their will.

Now, this doesn't mean the sky is falling. It's true they were only one win from the Stanley Cup last year. But that offseason turnover took its toll. I tried to downplay the loss of Hossa, Samuelsson, Kopecky, and Hudler, but the injury losses of Franzen, Filppula, Williams, and Kronwall hammered home the problem. That's a total of six forwards missing from last year's team - two complete lines. It's no wonder they're struggling.

Of the new faces, only Bertuzzi has shown ability to contribute regularly. The dude hasn't scored much, but he does hold his own with Zetterberg and Pavel. He sees the ice like a veteran, and the shots will start falling. We had high hopes for Ville Leino, but the youngster sports just 5 points in 25 games. He's also saddled with a -5 plus/minus. To put that in perspective, Leino has 1 fewer point than Filppula who's only played in eleven games! And it wasn't like Filppula was setting the world on fire (-6 plus/minus).

Other newcomers like Patrick Eaves and Drew Miller have settled well into their grinder roles. Same with Brad May. They offer resistance, defense, and occasional scoring. Perfect. Unfortunately, the Wings also need bodies to fill the scoring lines, and the Leinos of the world will need to start producing or they'll find themselves back in Grand Rapids.

As for the specifics of the game last night, the Wings muscled out a 4-1 win over a decent Dallas team. Playing their 7th game in 11 days, the Wings showed no signs of fatigue. They benefited from two extremely lucky bounces - first on Drew Miller's goal then later on Bertuzzi's. Jimmy Howard stood tall in net, and the penalty kill performed much better than previously. Next up is Edmonton on Thursday, and I wouldn't be surprised if Howard gets the call again. Right now, Babcock has more confidence in the youngster.