What makes pavel datsyuk so good

He could create space for himself using his hands, and once he had space, the threat of a scoring chance was always there. While it was a savvy business move at the time, seeing his name associated with the Coyotes the following season left an awful aftertaste in the mouths of many across the league.

This is because Datsyuk was one of those players that became associated with the team he played for. There may never be another player like Datsyuk.

Instead, he was insanely smart, and his creativity on the ice was nothing short of inspiring. Kids who grew up watching him play are undoubtedly trying to recapture the magic he brought to the game. I am a Western Michigan University alum whose passion for hockey knows no limits. Pepper enthusiast. Pavel Datsyuk Image courtesy photo. Datsyuk obviously does not play that same style and therefore won't deliver the same defensive output as Kesler. Datsyuk is really the premier defensive forward in the league because of his ability to take away the puck, control it, and skate it out of his own zone.

We really do not know how special and wide his skill set is and how that can affect the fortunes of the Detroit Red Wings as a defensive team. Datsyuk's defensive play is the catalyst for the puck-possession game the Red Wings play, and he is the one whose success ultimately leads his team in the playoffs.

He always seems to be mentioned among the league's elite, even though he may not be as good an offensive player as many of his younger counterparts. All things considered, fans must understand it is not too much of a stretch to see him as the league's best. He was a shutdown center that could eliminate your best offensive player for an entire game. He was also a No. Some numbers: Hockey Analysis keeps track of advanced stats as far back as the season, when Datsyuk was leading the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup.

Since that time no forward minimum 5, minutes played allowed opponents to to take fewer shot attempts when they were on the ice during 5-on-5 play than Datsyuk did only He was first by a pretty significant margin. He was also top in goals against. Not only did he play shut down defense, he did it in a way that was entertaining, something that is nearly impossible to do it.

There are a number of YouTube highlight packages dedicated entirely to him stealing the puck from opponents. Here is one of them. There are a lot of great defensive players in the NHL that are also just good enough offensively and vice versa to earn them the "two-way player" label. It is often said about those players that they could put up better offensive numbers "if they weren't so focussed on playing defense. Here's the thing: No they couldn't.

If they could, they would. Most players are not capable of doing both in such a dominant way. It is usually either one or the other.