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Abel to Yzerman

Prime Time

by IwoCPO on 11/15/09 at 07:39 AM ET
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Letters To A Nimrod

First of all…

For some reason, you just knew after those three words that you were gonna be irritated back on October 22nd. If someone had just given John Buccigross an open-handed bitch slap right then?  All would be well.  Didn’t happen.  Steve Phillips’ production assistant was busy.  Matthew Barnaby was repeatedly stabbing the exclamation point key. No one stopped Buccigross and now he just looks like a tool.

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are no longer in their NHL prime.

Oh, and dick? It’s Zetterman.  He dreams in colors.  Red ones.

I’m gonna do some talking about Hank but before I do I want to tell you it’s not gonna compare to this.  And that pisses me the fu** off.

The Triple Deke

He was so good that he scared Arby’s into downgrading their Hat Trick prize to “free urinal cakes”. He was so good, in fact, that Mitch Albom is going to lie about being at this game and write a column on it.

The guy works his beard off every night, on and off the ice. He is an absolute machine. Most players think that “double shifting” is playing on multiple lines; to Z it means dominating a hockey game and then going home to work over Emma.

Tyler and his dad also talked about the fact that they don’t profess their love for Hank as much as they should.  Interestingly, I think the same can be said for all of us.  Is Zetterberg overlooked?  No.  But he’s just undermentioned.  I get into ruts. We all do.  We’ve talked more about whether it’s cool to like Mike Babcock here than we have about one of the top 3 all around players in hockey. 

We know why, of course.  The Babcock deal is a debate starter.  Zetterberg is an ender.  Around here you mention Uncle Mike and blood pressure starts to skyrocket.  All Zetterberg elicits is a nod.  Best player in hockey right now?  Yep.  Best leader in hockey?  Yep. 

I said it.  Discuss it if you want, but it’s true.  Zetterberg’s the best leader in hockey and he’s not wearing the “C”...yet.  It’s not just about the scoresheet and I seriously doubt he’s ever said one motivating word in the room.  It’s about hustle and filth and grit and want and the desire to tell John Buccigross and Jimmy Devellano to just STFU.  It’s about placing a team on your back and carrying them because you despise losing.  That’s leadership and Hank’s got it.

It’s about taking on every team’s top line and playing your best when you do. It’s about shutting down the face of hockey on the biggest possible stage…two years in a row.  It’s about frustrating and sticking your boot in asses, reminding people that just because you’re Swedish doesn’t mean you lack some sort of mythical intensity only possessed by Canadien(an)s, or at least that’s according to a guy who talks toughness while sampling Tiny Tim’s wardrobe.

It’s about leading quietly, through pain, by example, lifting others and creating shame if your friends don’t play as hard as you do.  It’s about wearing a number that’s 21 away from a legend but playing a style that’s close enough for valid comparisons.

You know when it started.  We all do.  During the third period of a game that is sickening to remember.  Game 6 of the WCF, 2007.  The Wings may have lost but Zetterberg and Datsyuk laid claim to this team on that day.  They almost brought the Wings all the way back because it’s what they willed to happen.  And the next year?  The bile of losing was so disgusting that Zetterberg refused to let the taste come back.

He’s doing the same thing now, you know.  A third-period hat trick.  Tie game? BFD.  Hank? Seal it.  Done deal. 

Ville Leino played his best game of the season last night. He was fast, relentless, aggressive. Why?

Freep

“I have to compete more and win the puck in situations where it’s 50-50,” Leino said. “If you watch Pav and Hank, they win a lot of the battles, and that’s why they get the puck more and get to play more in the offensive zone. So you have to compete harder, otherwise you’ll just be floating around.”

Wings are gonna miss the playoffs.  Wings won’t have a top four seed. Wings won’t win the division.  Detroit’s run is over. Dynasty no more.  Really?

Do you really think Hank Zetterberg is gonna let that happen? 

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Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977.  No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y.  Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation.  There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature.  Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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