Datsyuk's thefts lead to 2 goals; Hasek: He has no weaknesses
WINGS 4, MONTREAL 1
Datsyuk's thefts lead to 2 goals; Hasek: He has no weaknesses
December 5, 2007
BY HELENE ST. JAMES
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
MONTREAL -- Pavel Datsyuk is heeding his teammates like never before. Over the past eight days he's punished opponents every game, demonstrating he is as much of a threat as a shooter as a passer.
Datsyuk had his second two-goal game in just over a week to help the Red Wings past the Canadiens, 4-1, Tuesday at Bell Centre.
"Everybody tell me, every shot is more danger," Datsyuk said.
He also schooled the Habs on the dangers of turning the puck over, stealing the puck from helpless players on both goals.
"I always like the way he plays," Dominik Hasek said. "He has unbelievable hands. He can shoot, he is strong on his skates, and he can do anything. I don't think his game has any weaknesses."
Datsyuk, who also had an assist, has seven goals in his past five games and trails team scoring leader Henrik Zetterberg, who had a goal and an assist, by just six points.
"He's jacked it up as time's gone on," coach Mike Babcock said. "He probably got tired of looking at the stats and seeing Z that far ahead and wanted to reel him in a little bit."
The Wings have won five of seven and nine of the last 12 meetings with the Habs, and have won five of their past seven stops in Montreal.
The Canadiens, for whom every loss brings on a cascade of criticism and who had lost four of their past five games, showed early jump when Saku Koivu flew down the right side on a 2-on-1 and took a shot, but Hasek stoned him, and the Wings owned the rest of the first period.
"Once we settled down, we kept them on the outside when they had the puck in our end," captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "They didn't have too many chances in the slot. And once we had the puck, we kept it in their end, passing it around and really covering the puck and not giving them much time with it."
The Wings killed two Montreal power plays 2:40 apart, then took a lead at 16:40 when Datsyuk beat backup goalie Carey Price with a wrist shot from the slot area, capitalizing on a turnover made by Steve Begin.
Christopher Higgins replied 4:15 into the second period; but Datsyuk, who'd been split from Zetterberg late in the first period, soon restored Detroit's lead when he stole the puck from Mark Streit and beat Price at 11:08. Niklas Kronwall made it 3-1 at 13:45 with a slap shot.
"We start today together, after a little bit, split," Datsyuk said of his play with Zetterberg. "Everything for a reason. We needed win."
Fans booed the Canadiens off the ice once that period ended, and struck up soon again in the third, especially when the Wings held the NHL's top-rated power play without a shot.
"We were trying to be aggressive if we could, instead of just letting them set up," Lidstrom said. "I thought we were able to do that, too. We were able to get a lot of pressure on them and not give them much time with the puck."
Datsyuk also had two goals Nov. 27 against Calgary, which launched the team's four-game winning streak.