Pavel Datsyuk Injury: 3 Red Wings Who've Stepped It Up and 3 Who Still Need To
On December 22, Red Wings fans everywhere got what was the equivalent of a lump of coal in their stocking for Christmas.
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit's leading scorer, and theretofore team MVP, fell awkwardly to the ice in a game against the Vancouver Canucks and in so doing, fractured his right hand.
The loss of such an important and irreplaceable player as Datsyuk (for what, optimistically, could be a little over a month) put a damper on the spirits of fans and teammates alike, and for good reason.
No team recovers from the loss of a player of his caliber, they simply try to live through it.
At the time, I suggested that, though losing Datsyuk was a serious blow, the Red Wings may actually benefit from other players stepping up to pick up the slack.
Seven games into the saga known as "Life Without Pav," we have indeed seen a few players elevate their games in the absence of Datsyuk, helping to shoulder the considerable load the Russian superstar routinely carries with ease.
Thanks to these extra efforts, the Wings have been able to sustain a respectable 4-2-1 record without Datsyuk.
However, given that the Wings are looking at at-least another seven games before Datsyuk returns to the line-up, there are still a few players who need to do more than they have been over that span if Detroit is to sufficiently sustain the loss of its most talented player.
The following is list of three players who have clearly upped their game in Datsyuk's absence and three who have yet to adequately rise to the challenge presented by Datsyuk's injury.
In typical hockey fashion, we'll put the first group on the "plus" side and second group on the "minus" side.
While you might have already guessed who might be in what trio, one or two picks might surprise you.
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Plus: Valtteri Filppula: 7 Points in 7 Games, Six Game Point Streak
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At the beginning of the year, coach Mike Babcock made no secret about the fact that he expected more out of Valtteri Filppula this year than in years past.
Given his talent and work ethic, Babcock's expectations of Filppula were hardly unfair, however, until Datsyuk's injury, Filppula had yet to emerge as the regular difference maker Babcock wanted him to be.
Filppula has been on a point-per game pace over the past seven games and is currently on a six game point streak.
Additionally, he has been Detroit's second best face-off man (right after Henrik Zetterberg) during Datsyuk's absence, winning 57% of his draws.
The extra ice time is proving to be beneficial for Filppula. Hopefully, he'll continue at this level once Pavel returns.
Plus: Henrik Zetterberg: 9 Points In 7 Games, Seven Game Point Streak
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Though Henrik Zetterberg was already part of one of the NHL's best 1-2 Punches, losing the other part of that duo in Datsyuk meant Zetterberg needed to make an even bigger impact for his team.
He hasn't disappointed.
Zetterberg has at least a point in every game since Datsyuk's been gone and has also kept up on his defensive responsibilities, maintaining a plus-four rating during the same stretch.
The fans, and certainly Zetterberg himself, would much prefer Hank do his thing alongside his best-buddy Pavel. Still, he's doing just fine carrying the extra mail until he can once again activate those famous "Euro Twin" powers.
Plus: Nicklas Lidstrom: 12 Points in 7 Games, 7 Power-Play Points
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If Ken Holland announced to the world tomorrow that he just signed 40-year-old Nicklas Lidstrom to a five-year extension, not a Red Wings fan in the world would be anything short of ecstatic.
One needs to invent a new adjective to describe the play of Nicklas Lidstrom this season because words like "amazing" and "outstanding" simply don't do him justice anymore.
Since his team lost their most important offensive player, he's not only continued his defensive brilliance from the blue-line but has also emerged as the Wings' most productive offensive player in Datsyuk's stead.
His seven power-play points the past seven games have almost single-handedly reignited the Red Wings power-play, which is now fourth best in the league.
Sure, a team's captain is supposed to step up a bit when one of his players goes down to an injury, but what Lidstrom is doing is just ridiculous.
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Minus: Johan Franzen: 3 Goals in 7 Games, One Power-Play Goal
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Alright, before you post your insults, hear me out.
Yes, Franzen just ended a six-game point streak during Datysuk's hiatus and has performed on a point-per game pace the past seven games.
But, the reason I have to include Franzen on the minus-side of this list can't be revealed on a stat sheet.
Franzen is Detroit's most potent scorer when he's on his game, easily capable of potting a goal or two per game once he gets hot.
However, over the past seven games, he's failed to finish on glorious chances, elected to pass when he could have shot and has generally not been the raging bull (or mule as the case may be), uncontainable net-crasher every fan knows he can be.
Franzen has been pretty good since Datsyuk went on IR. But for a player of his caliber and scoring potential, pretty good just isn't good enough.
Minus: Todd Bertuzzi: 5 Points in 7 Games, Minus-Three Rating
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Were it not for his slump-breaking, two-goal performance last game against Edmonton, Todd Bertuzzi would only have three assists to his credit over the past seven games.
At the start of the season, Todd Bertuzzi not only emerged as the Wings' leading scorer, but also led the team in plus/minus.
He has cooled off considerably since that hot start and while many thought that losing Datsyuk would inspire him to recover his form, it has yet to happen.
The one thing Bertuzzi proved to Red Wings fans and the rest of the NHL early this season is that he is still very capable of being a regular threat at both ends of the ice.
Unfortunately, despite the opportunity to do so, Bertuzzi hasn't been that during Datsyuk's absence so far.
Jiri Hudler: 5 Points in 7 Games, Minus-One Rating
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Yeah, I know.
Jiri Hudler has become the reliable whipping boy in Detroit this season, but the move to put him on the minus-list isn't made out of convenience.
There's a reason Hudler has been the brunt of so much criticism this year—he's better than this.
For a brief stretch over the past seven games, he demonstrated how good he can be, scoring a goal and an assist in back to back games against Colorado and Dallas.
The reason he got those points, against young and fast teams no less, is that he committed to working hard each and every shift.
Hudler has oodles of talent, but, when you're 5'10" and 182 lbs (soaking wet I'm sure) in the NHL, all the talent in the world isn't going to make a difference unless you work like a dog to unleash it.
During his mini-scoring streak, Hudler was determined, focused and willing to outwork his opponents to create offense for him and his line-mates.
However, after that, he seemed to settle back into his passive ways.
Indeed, in Datsyuk's absence, Hudler has managed to do less with more.
Though his ice-time has increased, aside from the aforementioned games, he hasn't made the most of it.
In fact, he received the most ice-time he's got all year against the Philadelphia Flyers, logging over 18 minutes.
However, Hudler didn't even manage a shot on goal during that game and ended up with a minus-one rating.
Hudler is better than this, and his coach believed that he'd be able to prove that fact more often in Pavel Datsyuk's absence.
So far, he hasn't.
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