DETROIT -- Henrik Zetterberg wants to play in the playoffs. Ezequiel Lavezzi Jersey . "Thats the goal," Zetterberg said Wednesday, speaking to reporters for the first time since he had back surgery Feb 21. The Detroit Red Wings hope to give their captain what he wants, but theyve got work to do. Detroit would be in its 23rd straight post-season if the regular season ended Wednesday, but it is in a logjam for one of two spots in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. The Red Wings, who have 10 games left in the regular season, will play Montreal on Thursday night at home. Zetterberg is aiming to return after the playoffs begin April 16. "I think the timeline is eight weeks without contact," he said. "Thats what the doctors say and thats what were going to stick with, and then well re-evaluate after that." Zetterberg said he felt great when he went to Winter Olympics. After Zetterberg played his one and only game as Swedens captain, he woke up in pain because a lingering back problem became debilitating. He had surgery about a week later in New York. "This had to be done," he said. "We went in, took away two pieces from my disc that were pushing on the nerve. Once this is healed and properly rehabbed, I shouldnt have an issue again." Despite not playing for Detroit since Feb. 8, Zetterberg still leads the team with 48 points. The Red Wings have been resting Pavel Datsyuk since Feb. 27, hoping it will help his left knee heal enough to help the team late in the regular season and the playoffs if they earn a spot. Datsyuk has been skating this week, but it is not known how longer he will be out. Detroits front line has been bolstered recently by the return of Darren Helm and Joakim Andersson. Tomas Jurco, who has been out for two weeks with injured ribs, is expected to play Thursday against the Canadiens. "The big thing is you get them back, but theyre good for one game and then it takes them about three games to get their conditioning up to speed," Red Wings coach Mike Bab**** said. Zetterberg led the team with 16 goals for a while, but Gustav Nyquist has surged into the lead with 25, including two in each of the previous two games and nine during a six-game streak. From Jan. 20 through Tuesdays games, he scored an NHL-high 20 goals -- five more than the leagues second-leading scorer during that stretch. "Hes the hottest player in the league right now and we hope its going to continue," Zetterberg said. Nyquist, who scored four times in 40 NHL games entering the season, has made the most out of his opportunities to play a lot for a banged-up team that has been missing a slew of forwards. Detroits fourth-round pick in 2008 previously scored a lot for the AHLs Grand Rapids Griffins, at the University of Maine and in the Swedish Junior League. "Hes on a roll and feeling good about himself," Bab**** said. "You never know until these players play whether they can do it in this league. Hes been a dominant scorer in every league hes ever played in." Diego Maradona World Cup Jersey . They are 8-15 as the host this season. Toronto lost the first two meetings of the season with the Magic and 10 of the past 16 matchups overall in this series. Gonzalo Higuain Soccer Jersey . Bradley came on as a substitute and broke the deadlock with his first touch of the match eight minutes from full time to keep Roma five points clear of Napoli and Juventus. Roma played the final 24 minutes with 10 men after Maicon was sent off for a second yellow card.NEW YORK -- The hang time is over for Ray Guy. The longtime punter for the Oakland Raiders is all by himself once again. After waiting 23 years, Guy is the first punter elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "Good things are worth waiting for," Guy said Saturday night after being elected along with six other players. "Its just a matter of time when it will show up. And I knew it would, sooner or later. It had to, whether it was me or somebody down the road. But sooner or later, it had to show up, because that is a part of a football game." Defensive end Michael Strahan, receiver Andre Reed, defensive back Aeneas Williams and defensive end Claude Humphrey also were part of the class of 2014. Two first-time eligible players, linebacker Derrick Brooks and offensive tackle Walter Jones, were selected. The announcement was made at the NFL Honors award show, less than 24 hours before the Denver Broncos take on the Seattle Seahawks in the first Super Bowl. Among the finalists who didnt get in were two with ties to the Indianapolis Colts and current Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning -- coach Tony Dungy and receiver Marvin Harrison. Each incoming Hall of Famer walked to the stage and was announced individually. Strahan, who helped the Giants make two Super Bowls, got a huge cheer from the home crowd. Induction will be on Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio. Guy turned the punting job into a defensive weapon after he became the first player at his position to be selected in the first round of the draft in 1973. He made "hang time" part of the football vernacular while playing all of his 207 games in 14 seasons with the Raiders. The Southern Mississippi product averaged 42.4 yards for his career. Only three of his 1,049 punts were blocked, and he had 209 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. "Its gratifying to now see a punter go into the Hall of Fame," Guy said, who joins Jan Stenerud as the only kickers enshrined . "Whether it was me or somebody else, they needed representation in that position." Brooks was the cornerstone of a Bucs defence that led the league in 2002 and 05, and the NFC five times. He was The Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year when Tampa Bay won its only Super Bowl after the 2002 season. The linebacker never missed a game in his 14 seasons and averaged a remarkable 146 tackles. Six of his 25 interceptions were returned for touchdowns, including a league-record three in 02. Seattle certainly got a winner when it moved up to the No. 6 spot in the 1997 draft to take Jones. He immediately provided blindside protection for Warren Moon and quickly became the first Seahawks lineman to earn a Pro Bowl spot. He was one of the chief road graders who helped Shaun Alexander rush for 266 yards in a 2001 game -- the fourth-highest total in NFL history -- andd then rush for a team-record 1,880 yards and 28 TDs in his MVP season in 2005. Maxi Rodriguez Soccer Jersey. "Coming into the league all I wanted to do was get here, and ... say I could play this game," Jones said. "For me to be here now, and for my team that I started with and finished with, to be here in the Super Bowl is just like the icing on the cake." Strahan set the NFL record for sacks in a single season, getting 22 1/2 in 2001. The one most people remember is the record-setter in the final game of the regular season, when Green Bays Brett Favre seemed to lay down on a play late in the game. While there is controversy about that play, the gap-toothed Strahan was one of the top two-way defensive ends. Younger teammates said he taught them how to work to become NFL players, and he walked away from the NFL after winning the Super Bowl in February 2008. "Its hard to find guys with everything, but this guy had everything . size, speed, power, toughness, endurance, motor, smarts, leadership, heart, love for the game, but what I admired most about Michael was his pride," Giants general Jerry Reese said. "No matter what the circumstances were, when he walked out on that field on Sunday, he was going to give it ALL to you. There arent many guys who can say that." Reed came out of little Kutztown (Pa.) University and played his first 15 seasons with Buffalo, getting to four Super Bowls, but never winning one. His final season was with Washington. His 951 career receptions are third in league history, highlighted by nine consecutive seasons of 50-plus catches. Long before people spoke about yards after the catch, Reed was doing it. He finished with 13,198 yards and 87 touchdowns. "Having to wait this long for him is a sin, but the bottom line is hes in and thats what counts," former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly said of Reeds nine-year wait to get into the Hall. A walk-on at Southern University, Williams was a shutdown cornerback in his 14 NFL seasons, the first 10 with the Cardinals and the last four with the Rams. He had 55 career interceptions, getting at least one in every season except his last. He had five or more in picks in six seasons, with nine being his best in 1994. Williams spent his last four seasons with St. Louis. He started at cornerback for the Rams in the 2001 Super Bowl and played safety in his final two seasons. The Hall of Fame doors finally opened for Humphrey on his 28th year of eligibility and his fifth as a finalist. The durable six-time Pro Bowl pick had 122 career sacks in 14 seasons with the Falcons and Eagles, who acquired him after a brief retirement in the 1978 season. "I never really gave up hope," said Humphrey, whose only regret was his wife died in July and didnt get to see his election. "I always figured there was a place for me here." ' ' '
