All eyes were on captain Henrik Zetterberg when the Detroit Red Wings got the season underway, and some of those eyeballs were attached to looks of concern.
Last spring, for the first time in his NHL career, Zetterberg did not score during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He tallied just twice in regular-season play after Jan. 27.
Factoring in all the post-season contests and international events he’d skated in over the years, there was justifiable worry that time may be running out on Zetterberg’s odometer.
That concern within the organization about Zetterberg’s future certainly played at least some role in the club’s decision to fast-track Dylan Larkin into the organization as a teenager, turning him pro after one season of NCAA hockey at Michigan.
Zetterberg begged to differ that the end of his road was near and during training camp, promised that things would be different this season, citing the back surgery he underwent late in the 2013-14 season as cause for his sudden offensive decline. His summer of 2014 was spent focused on rehab from his surgery and that meant less chance for him to devote time to his regular off-season workout regiment he utilizes to prepare for a full season of play.
“When I came into last season it was real exciting because I had been out for a while,… Zetterberg said. “I felt healthy so going into the season there was a lot of excitement.
“I hit the wall in January and never came back. It’s easy to blame it on stuff, but basically I wasn’t prepared enough for a full season. When you don’t have energy you can’t really play. Why that was, there could be a lot different things. This summer has been a better summer for me and I’m looking forward to a better year.
“This off-season has been better workout wise and hopefully it’ll transition more into a steadier season. The start last year was pretty good, but then I ran out of gas.
“Hopefully this year that won’t happen.…
The early returns are certainly promising.
Zetterberg celebrated his 35th birthday Friday by collecting three assists in a 4-0 shutout of Toronto in Detroit’s season opener. Saturday, Zetterberg added a goal and another helper in a 4-3 win at Carolina.
With five points, he’s tied for second in the NHL scoring race and his four assists place Zetterberg second overall in that category.
“It’s been a good start obviously but I’ve been playing with some young fresh guys, too, so that keeps me younger,… Zetterberg said.
Detroit coach Jeff Blashill admires the approach that Zetterberg takes to the game, how he’s always willing to do the work required to make both him and the team better.
“He wants what’s best to win hockey games,… Blashill said. “That’s what his No. 1 focus is.
“He doesn’t ever want the easy way out. He wants the right way, and that might mean more rest, but that might mean skating more.…
Zetterberg is a realist. A Red Wing since 2002, he understands that the passage of time means more of his career is done than lay ahead of him.
“We know our window is closing down even though we have a lot of years left,… Zetterberg said of himself and fellow veterans Niklas Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk. “You never know. You see young guys coming up and they’re playing really well and eventually they’ll take your job. That’s a good thing.
“It’s a good thing for this organization, but you want to be part of it as long as you can. To be able to do that you have to take care of your body, work hard and perform.…
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