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Henrik Zetterberg calls out Red Wings for playing ‘poke-and-hope’ hockey

Anaheim Ducks v Detroit Red Wings

DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 13: Henrik Zetterberg #40 of the Detroit Red Wings looks on in the first period while playing the Anaheim Ducks at Little Caesars Arena on February 13, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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The Detroit Red Wings enjoyed 25 years of playoff hockey, but that streak came to a crashing halt last season and it looks like it’ll continue into this year. When veterans that are used to having on-ice success have to endure losing seasons, it becomes tough for them to digest. Henrik Zetterberg is one of those guys.

The Wings captain has won it all, but the frustrations of this season seem to be mounting for him. After Thursday’s 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Zetterberg let it be known that he wasn’t impressed with the way some of the young players on his team were playing.
“There’s too much poke-and-hope on a lot of players,” Zetterberg said, per the Detroit Free Press. “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.

“You have to play defense first. We have guys in here who have enough skill to create chances and get enough chances. You can’t force and gamble all the time. You have to do it right and eventually you will get chances. It’s not often you get chances when you cheat. Sometimes you will get rewarded but not in the long run.”

The 37-year-old Zetterberg didn’t name names, but it was clear that two of his potential targets were Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou.

Exhibit A:

For those of you wondering what “poke-and-hope” hockey is, head coach Jeff Blashill defines it pretty well:
“Poke-and-hope hockey is called 50-50 hockey,” Blashill told the Free Press. “It’s a way to lose tons of games. To me it’s a young mistake and we had enough young guys do it for sure. You basically poke and you hope that you get it and if you don’t get it they’re going to get a chance. Well, that’s not the way you win. You want to create chances without giving up chances. When you play poke-and-hope hockey you’re done.”

Poke-and-hope might be fun for fans, but it definitely doesn’t get teammates and coaches excited.

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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.