When talking about Pavel Datsyuk, big hits aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. Instead, you immediately think about his silky miss and great plays. Datsyuk is a true legend, and few have played the game in such elegance as the Russian Star.
During his prime time playing in Detroit, Datsyuk was known as ”The Magic Man.” He did the most unexpected thing on the ice, always ready to pull off a crazy deke to send his opponents in a completely different direction.
Datsyuk wasn’t just a great playmaker, either. During 14 seasons in the NHL, he scored 314 goals and 918 points in 953 games. He also won Stanley Cups, and a ton of individual awards, as the Lady Byng, which he won in four consecutive years.
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Pavel Datsyuk was a physical player, but he wasn’t known for dropping big hits. He could stand up for himself, but it was rarely the case that he tried to take down the biggest guys in the league.
But one time, he just had enough of Shea Weber.
Datsyuk was trying to get by Weber in the offensive zone in a game between the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators in 2011.
But he was knocked down by the lengthy defenseman. The home crowd cheered, but Datsyuk was out for revenge.
Just seconds later, he got the puck again, and this time, he went for the reverse hit instead of the deke. Weber clearly had the upper hand in height and strength, but Datsyuk timed it to perfection, and Weber fell to the ice. The Detroit fans in the building stood up cheering, but even some Nashville fans applauded. We understand why. What a move!
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