CBS SportsLine
June 6, 1997
Ian Browne

He isn’t merely the captain. Steve Yzerman is Mr. Red Wing. You think Detroit Red Wings, Stevie Y is the man that comes to mind.

In this era of free agency and trade demands, Yzerman has poured his heart into the Motor City for 14 years, many of which have been so unrewarding. There’s been some tough times, but never a time Yzerman didn’t want to be a Detroit Red Wing.

And really, could you picture him anywhere else? It would be like baseball great Cal Ripken wearing something other than an Orioles uniform.

Yzerman, a man of few words, isn’t selfish, but he is human. Surely, there were days he thought, “Am I ever going to win a championship?”

Finally, he will get his wish.

THE SERIES ISN’T OVER YET, but Detroit has all but sealed the deal, taking a 3-0 lead on the Philadelphia Flyers. When this series comes to its inevitable end, this will be Yzerman’s crowning moment. The Motor City will be a madhouse for sure, and no one will savor the moment more than Yzerman.

But this isn’t your typical story of an aging player hanging on for that last ring. The 32-year-old Yzerman is, in many ways, a better player than he was in his youth.

Those were the days he would put together a 120-point season and think nothing of it. If you go strictly by the stats, you’d think Yzerman’s prime was a six-year span between 1987-88 and ‘92-93, when he registered at least 100 points each season.

However, those who follow the team closely insist that Yzerman has played his best hockey the past two seasons, despite a noticeable drop-off in the numbers.

The turnaround began three years ago, when the Wings were put out to pasture by the San Jose Sharks (gulp) in the first round.

THAT WAS WHEN COACH SCOTTY BOWMAN called Yzerman into his office and laid it all out for him. Bowman’s message? If the Wings were going to become a championship team, Yzerman would have to lead the way. Flash would have to be replaced by substance. Goals would have to replaced by defense. It was Bowman’s belief that if Yzerman could change his game, it was bound to rub off on his teammates who respected him so much.

Three years later, here the Wings are, on the verge of a championship, and here are Yzerman’s teammates talking about their captain’s defense, a preposterous thought years ago.

“I really haven’t played with a better defensive forward,” said sniper Brendan Shanahan. “The commitment Steve has shown this season, especially in the playoffs, is remarkable.”

And as always, the offense hasn’t been too shabby either. Looking for big goals at a big time? Look no further than what Yzerman has done the past three games, breaking Philly’s collective heart with crushing goals in each contest.
Game 1: Early third period. The Flyers had just started playing their most inspired hockey of the night. John LeClair’s had sliced the lead to 3-2. Then Detroit comes out of the locker room and Yzerman puts home a devastatingly vicious blast from the blue line that eludes Ron Hextall in the first minute of the period. The Flyers would never recover.

Game 2: Middle of the first period. The Flyers are gaining confidence, playing a far more inspired game than in Game 1. Trent Klatt ties it up for Philly, and the home crowd is going crazy. Then it is Yzerman — who else? — in the right place at the right time, tucking a Larry Murphy rebound past Garth Snow, and more importantly, silencing a raucous crowd and sparking Detroit to a 4-2 win, and a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3: If Philly is going to have any hope in this series, this is going to have to be their night. For the first time in the series, the Flyers jump on the board first, with John LeClair beating Mike Vernon at 7:03. Detroit is making a ton of mistakes. Then Yzerman collects a Viacheslav Kozlov pass and unleashes his trademark shot, the high, hard slap shot, sending the crowd into a frenzy for the rest of the night. From there, the Wings would never look back, reeling off five more unanswered goals in a 6-1 victory.

That is the way it’s been this spring. If the Wings need a goal, Yzerman delivers it. If they need some good penalty killing, Yzerman gives it to them, as he did in Game 3, helping Detroit survive Philly’s two-man advantage.

“He’s done it all for us,” said Bowman, who doesn’t hand out compliments for the sake of handing them out.

“We have been feeding off of him all year,” Shanahan said. “Especially in the playoffs. He has done everything a true captain does.”

The only thing he hasn’t done is deliver a title to Hockeytown, and that’s all about to change.