It was a rough pair of games for the Detroit Red Wings in Pittsburgh. In both games, they fell behind, scored two straight goals, and proceeded to allow the next three in a row to lose 4-2. In Game 4 Thursday night, the Wings were victimized by three Penguins goals over a 5:37 stretch of the second period, and it could be argued that Detroit looked fatigued as they attempted a third-period comeback.
Friday's day off back in Detroit gave the Wings some welcome good news, as it appears they are about to get a Hart Trophy finalist back in their lineup. This time, it's likely for real.
Pavel Datsyuk has been out since he took a puck off his foot in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals win over Chicago. If all goes well, it appears he will finally make his return Saturday night for a pivotal game in this series.
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Datsyuk's presence doesn't just help the Red Wings' offense. He's an incredible two-way player, and an effective Pavel Datsyuk will take a lot of pressure off Henrik Zetterberg, who has been asked to do everything for this team during the Finals.
Zetterberg has played pretty well, for the most part. However, his minutes have increased because of his effectiveness against Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, and there are rumblings that he wore down during Game 4.
Saturday night will mark five games in eight days, which is a ton for any hockey player. When you tack on additional minutes of high-energy hockey, it stands to reason that any human being -- even a great player like Zetterberg -- will have some struggles.
Of course, Datsyuk isn't a sure thing yet. With Detroit facing a virtual must-win Saturday, it does stand to reason that he'll push as much as he can to play.
Friday's day off back in Detroit gave the Wings some welcome good news, as it appears they are about to get a Hart Trophy finalist back in their lineup. This time, it's likely for real.
Pavel Datsyuk has been out since he took a puck off his foot in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals win over Chicago. If all goes well, it appears he will finally make his return Saturday night for a pivotal game in this series.
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Well, we think Pavel Datsyuk is going to play Saturday in Game 5. At least that's what coach Mike Babcock said at the start of his press conference:
"He'll play," Babcock said, succinctly.
But later, he seemed to leave the door slightly cracked.
"Prior to yesterday's game, we were hoping Pav was going to be in, but we weren't planning," Babcock said. "Now we're hoping Pav's going to be in and we're planning that he's going to be in. But he's still got to be in.
"Then the second thing is how does he do when he gets out there? He missed a chunk of time. Is he capable of those situations? Is he playing on the wing or is he playing in the middle? You know, all those things. We'll see. I don't know the answer, and I'm being honest with you, just because until I see them play, I won't know."
In 18 previous Stanley Cup Finals that were tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series 14 times. That's a pretty high percentage, and it means the talk heading into -- and out of -- this game will be about how important it is to get the win.
--"He'll play," Babcock said, succinctly.
But later, he seemed to leave the door slightly cracked.
"Prior to yesterday's game, we were hoping Pav was going to be in, but we weren't planning," Babcock said. "Now we're hoping Pav's going to be in and we're planning that he's going to be in. But he's still got to be in.
"Then the second thing is how does he do when he gets out there? He missed a chunk of time. Is he capable of those situations? Is he playing on the wing or is he playing in the middle? You know, all those things. We'll see. I don't know the answer, and I'm being honest with you, just because until I see them play, I won't know."
In 18 previous Stanley Cup Finals that were tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series 14 times. That's a pretty high percentage, and it means the talk heading into -- and out of -- this game will be about how important it is to get the win.
Datsyuk's presence doesn't just help the Red Wings' offense. He's an incredible two-way player, and an effective Pavel Datsyuk will take a lot of pressure off Henrik Zetterberg, who has been asked to do everything for this team during the Finals.
Zetterberg has played pretty well, for the most part. However, his minutes have increased because of his effectiveness against Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, and there are rumblings that he wore down during Game 4.
Saturday night will mark five games in eight days, which is a ton for any hockey player. When you tack on additional minutes of high-energy hockey, it stands to reason that any human being -- even a great player like Zetterberg -- will have some struggles.
Of course, Datsyuk isn't a sure thing yet. With Detroit facing a virtual must-win Saturday, it does stand to reason that he'll push as much as he can to play.
