Nobody does it better

Former NHL defenseman Jim McKenny was talking one day about the ways of the league, when the subject came around to learning how to play the game the right way. “In the NHL, players don’t learn from the coaches,… McKenny explained. “The new guys learn from the veterans.… This form of hockey osmosis could very well be described as Henrik Zetterberg’s most important role at this stage of his career with the Detroit Red Wings. The young up and coming Wings can learn from watching their 37-year-old captain in action. They can gain knowledge from asking him questions. And if they pay attention, their chances of evolving into solid, long-term players in the league will increase exponentially. Zetterberg is like that old Carly Simon song from the James Bond movie - Nobody Does It Better. “I don’t know if you can have a better model than Henrik,… Wings coach Jeff Blashill told Detroitredwings.com. “No coach can do what somebody like that does. No chance. Henrik’s been unreal just with his approach. “He’s one of the best winners of his generation without any shadow of a doubt. As this organization started to get hit a little bit by the salary cap, and the lack of draft picks, he just kept picking this organization up and putting them in the playoffs every year.… The playoffs won’t be there again this spring for the Wings for the second year in succession, but that hasn’t stopped Zetterberg from teaching the newcomers the right way to play the game, lessons the Detroit brass believes will pay dividends in the near future as the kids grow into larger roles with the team. All you have to do is look at Dylan Larkin to see how this works. Three years ago, the teenaged Larkin skated on Zetterberg’s wing as a rookie. This season, he’s put into effect the lessons he’s learned from the master. Larkin, like Zetterberg, is today a solid 200-foot center. He takes on the challenge of facing the other team’s top forward units and also has ascended to Zetterberg’s past mantle as the club’s scoring leader. “Dylan really looks up to him,… Blashill said. “Dylan is a guy who wants to learn and get better. He’s got a great respect for Henrik. “Again, there’s not a better model in the NHL and there hasn’t been in a long time for a guy that wants to be both and offensive and a defensive centerman. Henrik’s been one of the best winners, 200-foot players in the league for a long time.… Larkin is the first to acknowledge how he’s sought to mimic what Zetterberg does on the ice. “I was just talking with my dad a couple of days ago and we just talked about the way he plays the game and the way he is so patient in a full 60-minute game,… Larkin said. “He understands that a lot of nights, if you play 20 minutes, nothing’s gonna go on for 19 minutes and 59 seconds. It’s that one second you get where he makes it count. “My dad and I were talking about how much we admire how he plays the right way. He waits for his opportunity and then when he gets his opportunity, he makes the most of it.… Zetterberg tied Sergei Fedorov (954) for fifth all-time in Red Wings career points during Thursday’s 6-3 win at Buffalo. Nicklas Lidstrom (1142) is fourth on the list. “I think this is the one that was kind of in reach,… Zetterberd said. “The next big one, with my point production, it will take a while. So we will see.… There was plenty of speculation entering this season that 2017-18 might be Zetterberg’s last as an NHLer, but he doesn’t sound like a guy who’s planning to go anywhere. “I enjoy every minute with these guys,… Zetterberg said. “Being a part of a really tight group. I thought even last year when we struggled, I thought we had a good group of guys. “It’s fun to be a part.… A very big part, and still a very vital part. Follow me on Twitter @askthedufer