NHL

Players: Quick draws part of faceoffs

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Updated Apr 22, 2009 2:30 PM ET
     
 
DETROIT -- To win the faceoff battle in their first-round playoff series, the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets both admit they will cheat as often as they can. Centers will do what it takes to get their stick on the puck first or tie up their counterpart, and wingers will continually try to jump the draw. "I think that's a good thing, to be cheating on faceoffs," Red Wings forward Dan Cleary said before Game 2 on Saturday. "Any jump you can get, the more advantage you'll have. "Like the old saying, 'If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.' " The issue was brought to light by Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock on Friday, who accused Detroit's wingers of moving in too fast on faceoffs and vowed his club would do the same. "They've got a good faceoff team, too, don't kid yourself," Cleary said. "Don't think they don't cheat. It's just that we're better at cheating. "It's really a battle of who can outsmart the other. If you can get a good read on the linesman, you have to get in there, because you never know what faceoff win could turn a game." If a team is caught jumping in too soon, the center is thrown out of the faceoff circle. If it happens again on the same draw, the team receives a minor penalty for a faceoff violation, which is rare. The Red Wings, who led the NHL in faceoff success (55.1 percent) are less concerned about having their center tossed from the circle because they often have two players on the ice experienced at taking draws. "We're comfortable with other guys coming in," Kris Draper said. "It always seems we have two guys that can take faceoffs. So that first guy's going to try to time it and win that draw and if it doesn't work out, then the other guy's going to come in." Henrik Zetterberg was asked who is the biggest faceoff cheater on his team. "There is a book by a referee and he said I don't want to put a name out there, but he said one of our teammates was the best cheater in the league," Zetterberg said. Draper, one of the best faceoff men in the league, said he was called out for being a cheater in a book by retired linesman Ray Scapinello. "You cheat and try not to get caught," Draper said. "One of the greatest linesmen of all-time, Ray Scapinello, told Scotty (former coach Bowman) I was a cheater. Coming from a linesman, I'll take that as a compliment." Said Blue Jackets center Jason Williams: "That's why (Draper) is over 55 percent every year. It's cheating in a way, but if you get away with it, it's not cheating." Lidstrom's playoff 17th run The Red Wings have reached the playoffs 18 consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the four major sports. Captain Nicklas Lidstrom has been around for 17 consecutive, a franchise record. Lidstrom added to his club record by appearing in his 216th playoff game on Saturday. He hasn't missed a postseason since entering the NHL in 1991-92. Along the way he has appeared in the first playoff games for three different franchises (San Jose in 1994, Nashville in 2004 and Columbus this year). He also has played in the final playoff games for two franchises (the Minnesota North Stars in 1992 and Winnipeg Jets in 1996). "It's something I take a lot of pride in, not having missed any playoff games," Lidstrom said. "I've been fortunate enough to be with a team that's made the playoffs every year that I've been here." He is chasing teammate Chris Chelios' NHL record of 260 playoff games.
Tagged: Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Draper, Red Wings, Blue Jackets

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