About a week and a half ago, when Detroit hosted Nashville at home, Pavel Datsyuk scored an amazing goal. Just sleight of hand and no fraud! He scratched the puck from one opponent, gracefully rounded the other and rolled out to the shock position to the net. Actually implemented a one-in-two output. That was the twentieth goal of the Russian in the championship, extending the season’s record personal productive series to seven matches. Thanks to an impressive spurt, Datsyuk with 76 points and takes 14th place in the list of Enkhael scorers.
"Now he is absolutely confident in his own abilities, and therefore demonstrates his best hockey," said Detroit striker Chris Draper. “We can only help the guy maintain this confidence.” Can Pavel just as boldly open defensive redoubts and gracefully distribute assists left and right when the turn of the most responsible games comes? Serious question. Datsyuk proved that he was ready to almost single-handedly decide the fate of matches from October to early April. But barely breaks the hour of the playoffs, how amazing metamorphoses occur with his game. Having won the Stanley Cup as a newcomer (an event that Pavel subsequently compared with the meeting of the sunrise), Datsyuk went into a thick shadow. Judge for yourself: 9 points (all - assists) for 21 cup matches. His last goal in the playoffs dated May 31, 2002 ...
The next rally is not far off, and they expect almost more from Paul than from any of his teammates. The attacker understands this. In his interviews, he emphasizes that it is necessary to expand point deliveries during the playoffs. “I want to throw more often, attack more aggressively, go closer to the net,” Datsyuk shared his immediate plans (his English is still subject to a strong Russian accent). “In the past I tried to undo too much. Maybe this year it makes sense to change something and take responsibility of completing attacks on oneself. "
There are a number of reasons for which we have the right to expect an unprecedentedly productive spring from the thirteenth issue of Red Wings. Here and productive game throughout the season, and the sad experience of previous failures. In 2002, he was an unknown product on the North American hockey market. In a sense, the Russian was simply fortunate enough to be on the same link with Brett Hull, to become a student of a superstar. Then the rivals did not yet know Paul, and therefore paid him very little attention. Next season, a lot has changed.
In the playoffs of 2003 and 2004, the enemy realized where the threat was coming from and began to toughly patronize the attacker. The enemy did not disdain either delays or hooks, which then were not yet in the Enhael disgrace. After the lockout, they put things in order, however ... A year ago, the series with “Edmonton” Datsyuk began with the second match, after almost three weeks of inactivity due to injury. Naturally, it took time for the playmaker to return the fighting condition and restore the lost connections. But Detroit didn’t have the time, just after four games, the oil workers dismissed Red Wings for the summer holidays.
“Only in the third battle of the series with“ Edmonton ”Datsyuk began to resemble himself as before. For that situation, I think he looked very good,” says club head coach Mike Babcock. “In my firm opinion, Pavel is the dominant player in our league "The levels of his skill two years ago, when I joined the team, and now vary like night and day. Apparently, you need to overcome the black line more than once or twice, then to be ready mentally and physically."
Confidence is the main quality that a Russian needs to take on a long journey. That same confidence that does not leave him since the beginning of winter. In October and November last year, Datsyuk scored 14 points in 23 matches and more than once became the target for critical arrows of journalists. Then he began to play on the same level as Henrik Zetterberg, and both strikers blossomed. However, the main miracles lay ahead.
At the end of February, the Swedish striker inflamed the spinal disc, and the Russian lost his closest ally. It seemed that recession was inevitable, but Pavel adequately answered the villain-fate: 13 points in the “goal + pass” system in 8 subsequent fights! How is this possible? He just began to throw more often on goal. The rivals, accustomed to Datsyuk’s exclusively dispatch functions, kept his partners, and before the strikers there was suddenly room for maneuver. Passes are still the main trump cards of the Russian in the NHL, but now he plays with other cards.
“He is inimitable in a one-on-one situation,” Niklas Lidström admires. “When Pavel is with the puck, he can beat almost any opponent one-on-one. If he is attacked by two, Datsyuk will always find a free team-mate. He is so talented that he can do alone. "
In a month, the Russian should become a creator in matches, where each change has a fateful significance.
Translation by Vladimir BYCHEK
About Datsyuk - the language of numbers
In the NHL championships for a career:
352 games, 102 goals, 215 passes, 317 points, "+77" in the rating "+/-".
Average performance - 0.90 points per game.
Career playoffs:
42 games, 3 goals, 12 passes, 15 points, “-1” in the rating “+/-".
Average performance - 0.36 points per game.
Championship 2006/07:
68 games, 21 goals, 55 passes, 76 points, "+29" in the rating "+/-".
Average performance - 1.12 points per game.
Last eight games:
2 goals, 11 passes, 13 points, “+8” in the rating “+/-".
Average performance - 1.63 points per game.