Detroit Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist Continues to Lead the Way Offensively

The Detroit Red Wings made the playoffs last year primarily because Gustav Nyquist had an amazing performance down the stretch. He scored 28 goals in 57 games last season, and he has four goals in four games this season. Right now, Nyquist is in the zone, and he is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

If Nyquist continues to play the way he currently is, the Red Wings will be playoff bound for a 24th consecutive season, and he could pick up some hardware in the process.  

The Red Wings moved into a tie for second place in the Atlantic Division with a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Nyquist was at the forefront once again. Captain Henrik Zetterberg had a hand on each of the four goals scored against the Leafs, but Nyquist's tenacity, creativity and offensive acumen were on full display.

He made himself known during every shift, and he is slowly but surely showing that last season wasn't a fluke. The speedy Swede tallied his fourth goal of the season against Toronto, and he also picked up his first assist.

It is a hot start for Nyquist, who now has five points in four games, and he's on the road to exceeding his production from last season. The most impressive part of Nyquist's start thus far is that he is continuing to produce even though opponents are starting to target him.

Last year, it was easy for Nyquist to score early and often, as he was mostly able to fly under the radar as an unknown. This year, he is usually the Red Wings' best offensive forward on the ice, but he keeps getting the job done.

He is also drawing tougher assignments this year, something he rarely faced last year in a secondary role. Head coach Mike Babcock has been impressed with Nyquist's performance thus far as a player, and he realizes what he means to the Red Wings, per Stephen Whyno of the Canadian Press:

"

He's scored everywhere he's been, but he's scored points, not goals. He's got a good shot, he's got a unique hockey sense and, obviously, he's got some confidence. There's lots of players that come in this league and it takes a long time to get confidence. He arrived a little bit older and a little bit more established, and so he's got his confidence quicker.

"

Nyquist turned 25 on Sept. 1, and he is coming into his own as a player. During the lockout season, Nyquist tallied 60 points in 58 games for the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, which was an improvement on the 58 points he tallied in two fewer games the year before.

Graig Abel/Getty Images

All along, the Red Wings were high on Nyquist, but he just had to go through the process. Detroit is known for bringing its youngsters along at a snail's pace because they never want to stunt a player's growth.

It also helps the Red Wings cycle offensive players because when an older player leaves, it creates a spot for a young gun. Anthony Mantha is an example of a youngster coming through the system. By the time he is ready to make a sizable impact, there's a chance that someone like Pavel Datsyuk will be ready to retire.

For now, Nyquist is the main "young gun" in town, and this year could be a great one in terms of development. This season, Nyquist is only averaging 15:27 a game. As that number increases, his responsibilities and production will as well.

The Red Wings have looked solid thus far in the 2014-15 season, and Nyquist has been a big reason behind the team's success. He is a very exciting player to watch, and it will be intriguing to see how many goals he scores this season.

Detroit is going to have to fight hard to make the playoffs this year just because of the nature of their division and the Eastern Conference. It could be a dogfight until the bitter end, but things will go a lot smoother if Nyquist keeps his stick hot.