The space tightens up during the Stanley Cup playoffs, there's a battle zone for every inch of ice and the goals generally come few and far between. So what gives with Henrik Zetterberg then?
The Detroit Red Wings centre, who scored twice in Tuesday's 3-0 Game 4 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes that knotted this best-of-seven Western Conference opening-round series at 2-2, is actually a more productive player during the playoffs than in the regular season.
Zetterberg has tallied 44 goals in 89 playoff games, an average of 0.49 goals per game, superior to his .407 goals per game regular-season pace (206 goals in 506 games).
"He's been always real good in the playoffs," linemate Valtteri Filppula said of Zetterberg, who leads all playoff goal scorers with five. "It looks like it's going to be this playoffs as well."
Even the vanquished Coyotes were willing to acknowledge Zetterberg's impact on the series so far. "He's a good player, he's a top player, he's proven in the past he can do special things," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett said.
Stepping up
Preparing his team for Game 5 Friday on home ice at Jobing.com Arena, Tippett pointed out a trend that's held true throughout each game. "If you see the way this series has gone, the team that has won the last game, the other team has come out and played with an extra bit of urgency, an extra bit of desire," he noted.
Now, it's Phoenix's turn to respond.
"I look forward to the challenge and our players look forward to the challenge," Tippett said. "I think our team has more to give."
Doan update
The Coyotes were hopeful that the extra day of rest between Games 4 and 5 would allow captain Shane Doan (upper-body injury) to get healthy enough to play. Doan missed most of Game 3 and all of Game 4, but Tippett refused to use the absence of their leader as an excuse for failure.
"Shane is a big part of our group, but we have to have guys step in and do the job," Tippett said. "Our group is pretty strong that way. I like the way our group has bonded. I know Shane wears the C and a couple of guys wear A's, but for the most part, our group is very tight in there."
Datsyuk double
For the second consecutive day, Detroit centre Pavel Datsyuk was named finalist for a National Hockey League trophy that he currently holds. Datsyuk, Brad Richards of the Dallas Stars and Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning were announced Wednesday as the three finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy, which goes to the player "adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."
Datsyuk has won the award the past four seasons, a mark he shares with former New York Rangers centre Frank Boucher, who won four Lady Byngs in a row from 1928-31. Datsyuk was the only one of the NHL's top 30 scorers this season who garnered fewer than 20 penalty minutes despite being one of the NHL's top defensive forwards.
"He's gotten bigger responsibilities with the team, gotten more minutes playing in key situations where you have to be good defensively and just keeps working at it, too," Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said.
"He's always got a good work ethic and that really shows when you're back-checking, when you're playing hard in your own zone and coming back hard."
Datsyuk was named a Selke Trophy finalist Tuesday. He's won that award the past three seasons.
In the wings
Former Detroit defenceman Mathieu Schneider, who won a Stanley Cup with the team in 2002, is an extra defenceman with the Coyotes who has yet to see action in the series, but that doesn't mean the veteran of 111 playoff games hasn't proven valuable to the inexperienced Phoenix squad.
"Even though he hasn't been in the lineup yet, he's been very helpful behind the scenes," Tippett said. "I'm trying to keep him feeling part of the group.
"He's a strong veteran guy and very knowledgeable about the game. He's a guy that I certainly bounce a lot of things off of, and he'll be ready if called upon."
Rare zero
Jimmy Howard's 3-0 shutout victory in Game 4 was just the seventh time a Detroit rookie netminder has posted a zero in a Stanley Cup game, and only the third time since the conclusion of World War II.
Shutouts by Detroit rookie goalies:
(Date-Goaltender-Result)
- April 20, 2010 Jimmy Howard Detroit 3 Phoenix 0
- April 20, 1994 Chris Osgood Detroit 4 San Jose 0
- March 31, 1951 Terry Sawchuk Detroit 2 at Montreal 0
- April 21, 1945 Harry Lumley Detroit 1 at Toronto 0
- April 19, 1945 Harry Lumley Detroit 2 Toronto 0
- April 15, 1937 Earl Robertson Detroit 3 New York Rangers 0
- April 13, 1937 Earl Robertson Detroit 1 New York Rangers 0
