Gregg Krupa

 

Detroit -- Chris Osgood took a shot off of his blocker and directed the puck, about head high, at Henrik Zetterberg, who was nearby, preparing to clear rebounds. Zetterberg looked wide-eyed at Kris Draper, who was standing with him, shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

Game on, boys.

A number of Red Wings took the ice at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday for the first voluntary skate before the 2010-11 season. It was a vigorous session and looked like fun, too. Zetterberg, newly married, rested and healed, seemed particularly frisky. With coach Mike Babcock saying he intends to start the year by pairing him with Pavel Datsyuk, Zetterberg said he is raring to go.

 

It's been a while since we had the chance to start the year, and we both look forward to it," Zetterberg said. "We talked about it this summer and we want to get things rolling again."

Datsyuk attended Zetterberg's wedding in July to Swedish television star Emma Andersson.

Asked whether his preference is to play with Datsyuk, Zetterberg grinned broadly then laughed and said, "I think you know the answer to that."

Zetterberg, who turns 30 on Oct. 9, had 23 goals and 47 assists for the Wings last season. Face-offs aside, he had a stellar playoffs, with 15 points (seven goals) in 12 games. But the goal total during the regular season was his third-lowest, and his overall performance below the standard Zetterberg says he establishes, and what is expected of him by others.

"I want to play better," he said. "I want to produce more and help the team more. And I feel a big hunger and I am eager to come back and play hockey again."

Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said nagging injuries didn't help Zetterberg.

"You know, he had his injuries as well, last season, and I think Hank is going to come out with a good start," Lidstrom said.

The extra month off is something Zetterberg plainly relishes.

"It's been many years since we had this long of a break, and I stayed in Detroit for three weeks after the season and basically did nothing," he said. "And when I was ready to work out, it was still about June 1, and so you have the whole summer to do the workouts and get ready for the season. And I think that's important to have."

The physical drain of playing in the Stanley Cup Finals the two previous years and the Olympics in February was not as difficult as grappling with the mental fatigue, Zetterberg said.

"It's been a lot of hockey in the last three years," he said. "Just to have an extra month to go away from hockey and think about something else. Now, when we were in the middle of July, you just want to get back"

Andersson will join Zetterberg in Metro Detroit next week, as she has each of the past three seasons. And Zetterberg said that while he considers his few months in Sweden to be time "at home," he also feels he is returning "home" when his bride comes back to Michigan.

"You miss home, here, too, you know?" he said. "You have all of August, when you just want to come back to this life. It is fun to go back home, in Sweden. But then you want to go back home, here, again."

 

 

 

 

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