Zetterberg or Datsyuk? The Answer Is Easy Now

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By Jeff Moss
DetroitSportsRag@GMail.com
February 4, 2014

Coke or Pepsi? Star Wars or Star Trek? McDonald’s or Burger King? These are some of the black-and-white, life-and-death, Sophie’s Choice decisions people make as they pass through life. You are either on one side of the fence or the other.

During the halcyon days of the Red Wings, there was a similar either/or choice many fans made. Steve Yzerman or Sergei Fedorov. And if you don’t think there was a civil war between Wings fans regarding those two centers, you probably aren’t old enough to remember.

Team Yzerman once bashed Fedorov as a traitor for signing an offer-sheet with Mike Ilitch nemesis Pete Karmanos and his Carolina Hurricanes.

Team Fedorov would rip Yzerman for being a jealous dick and less than gracious in welcoming the young Russian into the fold.

Team Yzerman would accuse Sergei of loafing and not giving maximum effort on a nightly basis.

Team Fedorov would mock #19 for Scotty Bowman nearly trading him to the Ottawa Senators for Stanislav Neckar before the first Cup win because of Yzerman’s refusal to dedicate himself in the defensive zone.

The Stevie Y. slaps would needle Fedorov for dating an underaged Anna Kournikova while Fedorov’s Fans would openly wonder if “The Captain” would ever stay healthy.

And depending on your allegiance, your perception of why #91 eventually left for Anaheim differed. The Yzerman loyalists thought it was because Fedorov wanted to escape Yzerman’s shadow and Sergei’s supporters maintained that he wanted to stay but Mike Ilitch pulled the massive contract offer off the table at the last moment.

There has NOT been a similar debate with the next generation of incredible Red Wings centers who have carried the mantle since the GM of CSKA Moscow and “Young” Yzerman moved on.

While it’s no secret that I am a card-carrying member of the Sergei Fedorov Fan Club and thought Mr. Tara Reid got a raw deal from the minions of the Tampa Bay Lightning GM, I have never played favorites with either Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsyuk.

The EuroTwins (WORST NICKNAME EVER) have always been 1 and 1a in my mind. Both of Håkan Andersson’s draft larcenies have enjoyed probable Hall of Fame careers and have excelled in every facet of the game.

But events over the last few months have finally provided some separation between the Swedish superstar and his Russian counterpart to the point that Zetterberg is unquestionably my favorite of the two.

It started a few months ago when the controversy over Russia’s despicable anti-gay laws became NHL fodder due to the upcoming Olympics in Sochi.

When quizzed about his motherland’s prejudicial new laws that equate homosexual behavior with pedophilia and with other disgusting violations of human decency, Datsyuk had this to say ….

Yep. That say it all, Pav. It says you use a bullshit tome written 2,000 years ago by a bunch of MEN as a crutch to justify your homophobia.

Unless Datsyuk also uses his “orthodoxy” to defend cannibalism, slavery and the death penalty for those who believe in a God other than the Christian deity, this is just selective reading by Pavel and total bullshit.

When given a chance to stand up for civil rights in his home country and to send a major message to Vladimir Putin as a leader of Russia’s hockey team, he took the easy way out and blamed it on his dumb religion.

Meanwhile, Zetterberg had no issue with speaking his mind about the abhorrent treatment of the LGBT community in Russia. Instead of taking the “Republicans buy sneakers also” approach of shitbag Michael Jordan, Henrik said the following about the gay “propaganda” laws:

“Awful, just awful. I think that everyone should be able to be themselves. It’s unbelievable that it can be this way in this time, especially in a big country like Russia.”

If it were just the dichotomy between Datsyuk’s ostrich-like approach to human rights violations and Zetterberg’s basic decency in standing up for a minority group, that alone would have been enough to separate the two in my mind.

But if Datsyuk’s Dave Agema impersonation wasn’t bad enough, the way he is handling his injury situation in the lead up to the Sochi games is adding to my overall aggravation with the perennial All-Star.

Pavel hasn’t dressed since the Winter Classic and he probably shouldn’t even have been playing in that game. I don’t want to say Datsyuk looked stiff on New Year’s Day, but Red Berenson appeared more limber the day before in the alumni game at Comerica Park. And the U of M head coach is 74 years old.

Was Datsyuk only in the lineup that day because the game was a spectacle and the NHL’s centerpiece event? Who the hell knows, but the guy hasn’t played since.

And now, there are only two games left before the Olympic tournament and Datsyuk is still out with a lingering “lower-body injury.”

The question has to be asked …

Is Datsyuk’s priority the Wings or Team Russia?

And I don’t think it’s much of an open question based on Datsyuk’s recent comments about not ruling out playing in the Olympics EVEN IF he doesn’t suit up for the Wings prior to the break.

Are you fucking kidding me? To go along with whatever lower-extremity injuries he has suffered this season, he also experienced a concussion; he’s actually considering playing in the Olympics after sitting out the last five weeks???

It’s re-god-damn-diculous and I am not sure what to think at this point. Is #13 taking it easy so he can be ready for his Russian captaincy duties? Is he going to be magically healed in time for the exhibition?

Mike Ilitch has made Datsyuk a multi-millionaire over the years and Chris Ilitch is paying him $6.7 million THIS season. For what? To be a lesser priority? Where’s his loyalty to the Ilitch Family?

Look, I understand the pressure on Pavel to play for his country since the Winter Games are being played in his native land. And I get that he is the captain and there is a lot expected of him. And I don’t begrudge the abundance of HEALTHY WINGS going to Russia for the Olympics, but this man has been banged up all season and any playoff run is completely contingent upon his health.

And while Pavel Hannity has spent the last few weeks confounding Wings fans with an unclear timetable for his return, the Wings captain has been playing some of the best hockey of his freaking career.

Lost in the noise over the team’s struggles and the forced injection of youth due to all of the injury issues has been Zetterberg’s performance. On a team that struggles mightily to score, Hank is averaging 1.11 points per game. This is the center’s 11th season in the NHL and only during the 2007-08 season did Zetterberg average more PPG.

And the guy is an incredible +20 on a team that has an overall -12 goal differential. Say what you want about the validity of the +/- statistic, but there is no mistaking his dominance considering some of the lousy defensemen with whom he is forced to play and the team’s overall mediocrity.

+20.

Zetterberg’s actually on pace to put up his best +/- of his career and, unless I am confused, these aren’t exactly the 2008 Nicklas Lidstrom Red Wings.

Henrik Zetterberg has been an advocate for a persecuted community off the ice and the team’s MVP on it. And he has done it all with a bad back, which he probably suffered while attempting to almost single-handedly carry this organization.

I have never loved Zetterberg more; I have never been more disappointed in Datsyuk.

Henrik deserves more from his “EuroTwin” and I would hope that, as the leader of the Wings, he will be discussing this situation with Datsyuk over the next few days. But it sounds like Pavel is going to do what Pavel wants to do regardless of what ANYONE thinks of his situation.

And Red Wings fans have every right to be pissed off.

And not just the ones who live in Ferndale.