CHICAGO – Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg was asked if he's borrowed any of Pavel Datsyuk's moves during the 10 years they have played together.

“Oh, I can’t,'' Zetterberg said. “It’s out of my league. I’ll probably break something if I tried, so I’ll let him just do his thing.''

That thing Datsyuk does is excel at both ends of the ice. He is an offensive catalyst with his array of dazzling moves and clutch ability, all while establishing himself as one of the premier defensive forwards to ever play the game.

Datsyuk was named a finalist Wednesday for the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward. It is his record sixth consecutive nomination. He won the award three years in a row from 2007-08 to 2009-10.

Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, last year's winner, and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks are the other finalists.

“It’s not easy,'' Datsyuk said of his streak of nominations. “I’m honored to be nominated with two unbelievable players.''

Toews has extensive experience defending Datsyuk and being checked by him. And he'll get even more during the Western Conference semifinal playoff series between the clubs.

“He can come out of nowhere and steal the puck from you and make a play, and before you know it, it’s in your net,'' Toews said. “He’s as skilled as they come on both sides of the puck. You’ve got to try to outwork him every shift, because it’s tough to outclass him any other way.”

Datsyuk said he and Toews play the same type of game.

“We fight every year against each other,'' Datsyuk said. “It’s not easy. When a good player plays against a good player every time they make each other better.''

Toews said the 5-foot-11, 198-pound Datsyuk is deceptively strong.

“He’s more physically imposing than you’d think,'' Toews said. “When you think you’ve got him in a vulnerable spot, he can counter-hit you any time he wants. Sometimes he tries to make it look like he doesn’t see you, but he does.''

Added Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith: “Just because he’s not 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, does not mean he’s not strong. He’s really strong. You’ve just got to watch him to see how strong he is on his skates and how good he is at guarding the puck.

“I’d say probably the toughest guy one-on-one to handle in the league. He’s got a lot of different moves up his sleeve and he competes. You can’t say enough good things about him.''

Datsyuk tied for the NHL lead with 56 takeaways.

“Having him out there, it makes our job so much easier, it's like having another D-man back there,'' Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith said. “He's so smart with his positioning and having a good stick, and he pick-pockets everybody.''

Nobody is better at sneaking up on an unsuspecting puck-carrier, stripping him and taking it the other way.

“I've been that guy,'' teammate Kyle Quincey said. “You muscle down and get rid of the puck quicker when he's on the ice. You don't have a second to make a play, you just got to get it away from his area because he'll get it back.

“He's one of those guys you'd never think of hitting because he'll make you look stupid by going around you or counter-hitting you.''

Only Bob Gainey of the Montreal Canadiens has won the Selke more times, capturing it four years in a row beginning with its inception in 1977-78. Datsyuk's sixth consecutive nomination breaks the record he shared with Gainey (1978-82) and Montreal's Guy Carbonneau (1986-90).

Chicago's Marian Hossa, Datsyuk's linemate for one season in Detroit, said, “He’s just extremely skilled with the puck, so smart and poised. I learned some stuff during the one year (with) him and he really was fun to watch, even in practice.''

Datsyuk said it has become more difficult to come up with new moves.

“Nothing new now,'' Datsyuk said. “Everybody knows everything. It’s just hard work.''

But, Zetterberg said, “In practices and games, he always comes up with something new. It’s fun to play with him and be close to him to see what he does every day.''

Toews called Datsyuk's creativity amazing.

“It looks like he’s got a simple play to make, but he comes up with something so creative that no one would’ve thought of,'' Toews said. “Most guys like that, to even come close to that skill level, they don’t maybe work as hard as he does defensively.

“It’s pretty amazing to watch him play, but an even bigger test to go against him.''