It should go without saying that, when you win 21 homes games in a row, you're a team firing on all cylinders. But let's be clear, as tight a game as the Red Wings are playing right now, it helps that one of those cylinders is a tiny Russian wizard named Pavel Datsyuk.
With the game tied 1-1 and just five seconds left in regulation against the Predators on Friday, Datsyuk took a feed from Henrik Zetterberg at the blue line, froze All-Star defenseman Ryan Suter with a juke, then cut inside and went high blocker side on Pekka Rinne to win the game, 2-1, and extend the Red Wings' record home win streak to 22. It was nuts:
Not pictured: Ryan Suter trying desperately to gather his intestines after Datsyuk turns him inside out.
Clearly, there's a reason Datsyuk was taken first overall at the All-Star Draft last month: he can make a quality defenseman like Suter look that bad. Incredible. What's next? Making Shea Weber look silly while lying on his stomach?
Oh, wait. He did that, too.
Datsyuk also helped to set up the Red Wings' opening goal despite blowing a tire and falling along the near boards. As Weber approached to collect the loose puck, Datsyuk fed Todd Bertuzzi from his belly to kick off a two-on-one down-low:
It's a good thing Lidstrom's on his team, or Datsyuk might have punked him, too. What a night for the Red Wing center.
And thus, the Red Wings' won their 22nd consecutive home game because Pavel Datsyuk singlehandedly bamboozled the best defensive tandem in hockey.
He's pretty good, is all I'm saying.
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