from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
An ugly performance at home prompted a rare outburst from Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg....
“There’s too much poke-and-hope on a lot of players,” he said. “If you want to be a solid good player in this league, and if you want to win something, you have to learn to play the right way.
“Poke-and-hope might get you 25-30 goals, but you will never win anything.”
Zetterberg didn’t name teammates, but based on the game - and the season - the criticism fits especially Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou. It’s tough to see for a guy like Zetterberg, who has exemplified two-way hockey since he entered the NHL in 2002....
The growth of the young players is central to the Wings regaining competitiveness. The plan at the start of the season was to put them in bigger roles in hopes they’d embrace their importance. Consistency is an issue.
“This is the pain you endure at times when you’re asking some young guys to start to take over,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “This is the reality of it.”
Below, watch the game highlights.
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