Canucks Season Preview: Henrik and Daniel Sedin
Today, we start a series looking at the 2011/2012 edition of the Vancouver Canucks. First up: Henrik and Daniel Sedin.
What we remember:
Henrik and Daniel Sedin continued to respond to their critics in 2010/2011. Henrik followed up his 112-point, Hart and Art Ross-winning season with a strong 94-point one. Daniel, after scoring 85 points in 63 games the season before, scored 104 points and wrestled the Art Ross away from Henrik; he won the Ted Lindsay Award too. Both were just as proficient in the postseason; Henrik and Daniel finished 2nd and 3rd in playoff scoring, respectively.
Unfortunately, the sting of losing game 7 to the Boston Bruins took away from the highlights, awards and accolades. We’ll remember Henrik’s dive against Zdeno Chara as much as his 12 points in 5 games against San Jose in the Western Conference Finals. We’ll remember Daniel being used as a punching bag by Brad Marchand as much as we’ll remember his 5 goals and 7 points in 7 games against the Chicago Blackhawks.
What we expect:
With Mason Raymond out until at least November, Ryan Kesler questionable to start the season, and Mikael Samuelsson coming off an abdominal injury, the Canucks may need to lean on the Sedins even more offensively than they have in the last couple of years.
But perhaps more important than the numbers, more will be expected of the twins’ leadership – and specifically, Henrik’s captaincy – to erase the perception that the Canucks are nothing more than a bunch of hair-pulling, finger-biting, cheap-hitting divers. The team did well to play the game “the right way” in the regular season. The Sedins will need to play a big role in making sure the entire team plays the game “the right way” throughout the playoffs as well.
Reality check:
Henrik and Daniel have both won individual awards. They’ve won gold at the Olympics. There’s only one trophy left for them to win, and it’s the one trophy every Canucks fan has been waiting for. At this point, anything less is irrelevant.
He said it:
“We didn’t produce the way we wanted to produce. Our only chance is to produce. If we don’t do that, we’re losers. That’s the way it is.”
– Daniel Sedin reflecting on the Stanley Cup Finals loss to the Boston Bruins
