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Pavel Datsyuk providing magic in typical 'Magic Man' fashion
At the start of the year, the Detroit Red Wings were without their star mainstay forward, Pavel Datsyuk, who was out due to offseason ankle surgery.
Datsyuk missed 15 games, and it showed. Without one of their top offensive players, and an insertion of a brand new head coach in Jeff Blashill, the Red Wings looked lost at times. They were having difficulties offensively, and it showed in the standings. In those first 15 games, the Red Wings went just 8-6-1, good for second place in the underwhelming Atlantic Division, but well behind the league's top teams.
But when Datsyuk returned to the lineup, the franchise turned a corner almost instantaneously. Since his return on Nov. 13, the Red Wings have gone 8-2-4, and they are in the midst of a 12-game point streak.
Call it magic, from the Magic Man himself.
Datsyuk earned the nickname after dazzling performances became the norm for the 37-year-old Russian. Datsyuk's latest goals, stickhandles and passes became consistent highlight-reel material, and his moves routinely hit six digits in views on YouTube with ease.
But are we getting a little carried away in saying he's the sole reason the Red Wings turned their season around. After all, he is only one player, and to give him 100 percent of the credit for the complete 180 seems foolish in this day and age in hockey. But you certainly need to give Datsyuk some credit.
With his return, the Red Wings added a versatile two-way forward capable of playing with anyone in the lineup and generating a ton of offense. His most recent partner in crime? Darren Helm, who scored two goals in Detroit's most recent victory. After scoring just one goal in his last 24 games, he slid right in with Datsyuk, who took him right under his arm and instantly made him a better player.
Datsyuk can do that with anyone. In fact, according to Hockey Analysis, every forward Datsyuk has played at least 50 minutes of even strength five on five with this season has seen an increase in their total shot attempts per 60 minutes when they play with Datsyuk versus when they play without him.
But because teams have to focus more on Datsyuk, who plays on Detroit's second-line, it opens up opportunities for guys on other lines as well. So Datsyuk almost directly effects every one of his team mates whether he plays with them or not. Guys like, say, Tomas Tatar, who plays on the Red Wings' third line, but has had 12 points in 14 games since Datsyuk's return. Tatar only had nine points in his 15 games without Datsyuk in the lineup.
Red Wings Forwards Playing With Datsyuk
| Player | TOI Together | Shot Attempts Per 60 Minutes Together | Shot Attempts Per 60 Without Datsyuk |
| Brad Richards | 81:37 | 60.28 | 49.70 |
| Teemu Pulkkinen | 59:26 | 66.63 | 57.27 |
| Darren Helm | 57:07 | 55.68 | 46.26 |
| Tomas Tatar | 54:53 | 57.94 | 54.55 |
It's the Datsyuk effect. And you can actually tell that since his arrival, the team has improved their overall play in several different areas.
Detroit's Team Stats With and Without Datsyuk at Even Strength 5-v-5
| Category | Without Datsyuk | With Datsyuk |
| Team Shooting Percentage | 7.5 percent | 8.1 percent |
| Shot Attempts Per 60 | 46.4 | 54.8 |
| Scoring Chances Per 60 | 23 | 27.8 |
| High-Danger Scoring Chances Per 60 | 8.4 | 12.2 |
| Percentage of Offensive Zone Starts | 46.6 | 58.2 |
In fact, since Datsyuk's return, the Red Wings' 27.8 scoring chances per 60 minutes of even strength 5-v-5 play is the seventh-most in the NHL. Prior to Datyuk's return, their 23.0 scoring chances per 60 minutes of even strength 5-v-5 play was the fifth-lowest in the league. And their shot attempts percentage has skyrocketed since Datsyuk's return. While he was out with his injury, the Red Wings' shot attempt percentage was 46.8 percent, the fourth-lowest in the NHL. That means for every 100 shots taken at even strength 5-v-5, their opponents were generating 54.2 shots, and Detroit only had 46.8 per game, meaning they were playing in their opponents generally had the puck more than they did. But when Datsyuk returned that percentage rose to 54.9, good for the fourth-highest percentage in the league. Just look at how the Red Wings didn't just start from the bottom and get the the middle of the pack in shot attempts since Datsyuk returned, as well as starting their shifts in their offensive zone as opposed to the defensive zone, they completely shot up as the leaders (first graph shows Detroit without Datsyuk, second shows Detroit with Datsyuk. Click graphs to enlarge).
Can all of this credit be given to Datsyuk? Probably not. Datsyuk wasn't the only player out of the lineup for a certain amount of time. New defensive arrival Mike Green, known as an offensive defenseman, missed six games due to a shoulder injury. Brad Richards missed nine games before Datsyuk returned. And as previously mentioned, it could have easily just taken a little while for the Red Wings to warm up to their brand new coach.
But you can certainly give the Magic Man a chunk of the credit.
Statistics provided by War on Ice
