Getting a little ahead of ourselves?

by Casey Richey on Oct 23, 2009 10:54 AM CDT

I've got a bone to pick with John Buccigross' latest ESPN "mailbag" in which he addresses a few things Red Wings. Bucci is normally the only person I'll really read from ESPN but this comment stuck out like a sore thumb:

1. Why do Datsyuk and Zetterberg get no love? I know they are not as flashy as Ovechkin or Crosby, but come on, they are in their prime.

JB: First of all, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are no longer in their NHL prime. Datsyuk is 31 and Zetterberg is 29. Those are not "prime" ages to play a nine-month NHL season.

If Datsyuk and Zetterberg are truly no longer in their prime, how do you explain Pavel's back-to-back 97 point seasons (career highs) or Zetterberg's Conn Smythe in the '08 Cup? While Hank didn't have a career year last season, he did the year before and still post very respectable numbers (31 G, 42 A, 53.3% faceoff success). Pavel scored the most goals of his career last year with 32 and added 65 assists while winning 56% of the 1135 faceoff draws he took. Clearly, past his prime.

I think what people forget is how good these two guys are defensively and forcing turnovers that create offense for the rest of the team. Example, Datsyuk had 89 takeaways last year (2nd to Malkin) while having 31 less turnovers than Malkin did. The reason Hank and Pavel don't get the same amount of "love" from the commentators is because of their defensive play. And as the saying goes, "defense is boring." But I'll take "boring" any day if it creates scoring opportunities for the rest of the team, especially when it's created by players "past their prime." To me, it's always going to be impossible for these guys to stand out when the rest of the league idolizes the offense of the Crosby-Ovechkin-Malkin trio. Personally, I'd rather our players go under the radar but to be considered past their prime is bordering on the edge of ludicrous.

What do you have to say on it?

Poll

Are Hank and Pavel "past their prime"?

No way, Bucci is just talking crazy.

131 votes

Yeah, but I hate to admit it.

13 votes

144 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Okay...I'll go find the tar

Somebody else get the feathers. We’ll find the two S.O.B.’s who voted “Yeah” and treat em right

by 42jeff on Oct 23, 2009 11:40 AM CDT reply actions

Once Again....

I completely agree with you 100% Mr. Norris Trophy!!! Wow, you can truly tell what side of the NHL a person is on when this subject is raised. It’s sad that their even has to be a side but in today’s Bettman NHL, that seems to be the case more and more. Maybe it’s due to the fact that the average Red Wing fan has a little more hockey sense then the rest? Giving way to the fact that we can see past all the glitz and glamour of Crosby/Malkin. (For obvious reasons of course, haha) That when it comes to goal scoring & play making…sure great. But when it comes to two-way play…No way!! Ovechkin however is different, he has shown great skill thus far when it comes to this.

Back to Hank and Pavel, their’s really not much to be said, that Mr. Norris didn’t already say. He hit it right on the nose!!! Part of the reason we added Bert and May, gives our guys more room to play great 2-WAY hockey!! I played D for 10 + years and it sure did help when we had a lil’ offensive help back there. Point being.. 2 of our BEST players are NOT past their prime! Far as I’m concerned as long as you’re playing in HOCKEYTOWN… you’re IN your prime!! i.e. Mr. Hockey #9

And to “42jeff”… I GOT THE FEATHERS… LET’S GET ’EM!!!

STAND TALL, FLY STRAIGHT, USA ALL THE WAY!

by DetroitALLtheWay09 on Oct 23, 2009 12:16 PM CDT reply actions

I voted yes. Physical primes for athletes are normally in their late 20’s. I don’t know what it is specifically for hockey, but I know for baseball it’s 27-29 and occasionally 30-32 but I believe that sample is smaller.

So, Pavel is probably “past his prime” but that doesn’t mean Bucci is calling him a bad player.

As far as Hank goes, he’s had enough injuries with his back that make me believe he is out of prime as well — again that doesn’t make him a bad player in the least. But these guys “past their primes” are still elite level players.

Honestly, this feels like much adieu about nothing.

Fire Jim Leyland

And now at Beyond the Boxscore and Project Prospect!

by Mike Rogers on Oct 23, 2009 1:56 PM CDT reply actions

remember that you are reading espn, and how much credit you are giving their writers!
they barely know the sport!

i think the nhl is slowly showing that the younger players are dominent and i think that’s why those three have been given soo much credit for their play. but for years the nhl players prime has been from 27-33ish. these guys might be coming to the end of their prime, but they were also late bloomers and will keep it up for the rest of their careers

by theenrique on Oct 24, 2009 6:47 AM CDT reply actions

Hasn’t ESPN started completely ignoring hockey yet?

I wish they would. They don’t like it, they treat the fans with scorn and patronize them, and they can’t even pronounce relatively simple names of the players correctly. I despise ESPN and I think the greatest strength of the internet is that I can get scores and analysis and information online without having any contact with ESPN whatsoever (including the website – I have visited the website three times, and gotten a virus each time).

"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero

by Baroque on Oct 24, 2009 11:06 AM CDT reply actions