A day later, everyone was still talking about Gustav Nyquist’s highlight-reel overtime winner for the Detroit Red Wings in Saturday’s 3-2 triumph over the Ottawa Senators.
“It’s fun to watch, especially when you have a seat in the first row,… suggested no less an expert on highlight-reel tallies than Detroit center Pavel Datsyuk.
Some of the words being associated with Nyquist left the goal scorer somewhat dumbfounded.
Is Nyquist bound for this season’s NHL All-Star Game? Probably, even though he can’t fathom it as a realistic possibility.
“Obviously I’m a young guy in the league and that would be a great experience, but that’s not something I think about,… Nyquist said of the Jan. 25 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus. “If you ask me who’s an all-star in this room it’s not me, that’s for sure.
“We have a lot of other guys that are superstars in this league. I don’t think about the all-star game at all.…
During a season in which he’s led the Wings with 15 goals and rated among the NHL leaders with eight power-play goals, it’s difficult to imagine that voters aren’t considering Nyquist’s name when casting ballots.
“He’s doing OK, I think,… Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall said of Nyquist, tongue firmly planted in cheek.
“He knows the game. He’s a smart player, he knows where to be. He’s one of those guys where the puck follows him. He knows how to score. He’s just extremely determined. He wants to get better every day.…
That determination to continually improve comes from within Nyquist and also from the challenge of trying to get up with the magical puck skills of teammates like Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
“When you look at guys like Hank and Pav, they protect the puck so well,… Nyquist said. “It’s hard to take the puck off of them when they protect the puck down low.
“As a young guy watching them every day, seeing them in practice, they work on it every day, so you understand why they’re so good at it. For me, if you want to come close to being as good as they are one day, that’s something you have to learn in your game and obviously that’s something I try to work on.…
The mentors are certain that the student has learned his lessons well.
He improves every day, every year,… Datsyuk said of Nyquist. “He has a really good shot, it was nice goal. You can see in the emotion after the goal, everybody happy.…
As one of the few NHL players capable of doing what Nyquist did on that goal – maintaining control of the puck for 28 seconds and circling the offensive zone in search of an opening, carrying the puck with one hand on the stick while the other stiff armed defenders to keep them at bay – Datsyuk can speak with authority of the type of individual skill required to pull off such a move.
“Everybody would be happy to have the puck come for everybody but this type of player finds his spot and he knows where to follow rebounds,… Datsyuk said. “He finds the spot to be ready and shoot and make a good shot. It’s not easy for the puck to bounce to him.…
Datsyuk also succinctly understood the sort of ability required to control a puck for that length of time.
“Yes, it’s not easy, especially at end of game,… Datsyuk said. “When you come to blue line you always worry about if you (make) mistake and somebody go one on one, but you need confidence and lots of skill, too. It’s a skill you can work on every day.…
Detroit coach Mike Babcock admitted he was of two minds as Nyquist danced his way around the Ottawa zone.
“I was thinking what I always do,… Babcock insisted. “‘Why doesn’t the kid shoot the puck?’ He hung onto it for 28 seconds, and then he shot the puck. We had someone in front, which I liked. And I like O-zone time where you’re heavy on the puck and you hang onto it, so it was a good play by him.
“Obviously, five on five you’re not going to hang onto the puck 28 seconds. But a great play, great individual effort. Now, obviously Helmer (Darren Helm) was in front, (Brendan) Smith passed (skated) in front, so the goalie (Craig Anderson) didn’t see anything. He went bar in. It was a good goal for us.…
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