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Does Henrik Have The Heart Of A Champion?


MJDDawg

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THe Sedins are probably the classiest players in the league. They never criticize their team. management, refs or opponents. They are willing to take abuse and "turn the other cheek" to help the team. THese are all admirable traits and things you want in your leaders.

However, their value to the team, on the ice, is limited to their ability to score coals. They are not physical, they are weak defensively and they lack the ability to crash through and be game-changers when the team is in trouble. By this I don't just mean goals but, a timely hit, fight, making a spirited one-man rush that inspires the team. I simply don't see the Sedins as inspirational leaders like a Toews, Chara, Iginla, Yzerman, Crosby etc.

Last game when Burrows took his penalty, it was in defence for a cheap shot on a Daniel. Daniel swung his stick in response and then immediately jumped on the bench while the scrum took place. I'm sorry but for a team that is struggling this kind of behaviour is demoralizing. LIke Marchand punching them in the face with the whole world watching and they do nothing! THat could have been the turning point in the series if the Sedin had "lost it" on Marchand. It's not like they are being asked to take on Thornton!

Kesler to some is seen as not mature enough though he is older than Toews who, yes, said some things perhaps he sohuldn't at times, but who will carry his team on his back thorugh his actions when the going gets tough. Given the captaincy, Kesler could be this kind of leader. He has shown he can change his behaviour for the benifit of the team and would, I believe, rise to the challenge.

A hockey captain should not need "protecting" to the extent that they never fight their own battles. It's demoralizing and embarrassing.

THis is why great captains are not often the top goals scoreers on a team but tough, strong two-way players who can score but can also hit, skate, crash the net and will fight if necessary. IN other words "lead by example on the ice". After teh last loss, Hank said they need to crash the net and screen in order to score more goals. He obviously isn't talking about him and Dan. WHen have they ever crashed the net or stod there and got teh hell beat out of them to screen? Calling out your team to do something you yourself won't do is not effective leadership.

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Killing them with kindness can only go so far in this league..at some point the twins have to find there evil twins..otherwise the only cup they will be lifting is the one that protects their family jules, or their favorite one they drink their coffee out of..

Huge hearts.. don't get me wrong

but lets face it.. the post season becomes a blood bath!!

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THe Sedins are probably the classiest players in the league. They never criticize their team. management, refs or opponents. They are willing to take abuse and "turn the other cheek" to help the team. THese are all admirable traits and things you want in your leaders.

However, their value to the team, on the ice, is limited to their ability to score coals. They are not physical, they are weak defensively and they lack the ability to crash through and be game-changers when the team is in trouble. By this I don't just mean goals but, a timely hit, fight, making a spirited one-man rush that inspires the team. I simply don't see the Sedins as inspirational leaders like a Toews, Chara, Iginla, Yzerman, Crosby etc.

Last game when Burrows took his penalty, it was in defence for a cheap shot on a Daniel. Daniel swung his stick in response and then immediately jumped on the bench while the scrum took place. I'm sorry but for a team that is struggling this kind of behaviour is demoralizing. LIke Marchand punching them in the face with the whole world watching and they do nothing! THat could have been the turning point in the series if the Sedin had "lost it" on Marchand. It's not like they are being asked to take on Thornton!

Kesler to some is seen as not mature enough though he is older than Toews who, yes, said some things perhaps he sohuldn't at times, but who will carry his team on his back thorugh his actions when the going gets tough. Given the captaincy, Kesler could be this kind of leader. He has shown he can change his behaviour for the benifit of the team and would, I believe, rise to the challenge.

A hockey captain should not need "protecting" to the extent that they never fight their own battles. It's demoralizing and embarrassing.

THis is why great captains are not often the top goals scoreers on a team but tough, strong two-way players who can score but can also hit, skate, crash the net and will fight if necessary. IN other words "lead by example on the ice". After teh last loss, Hank said they need to crash the net and screen in order to score more goals. He obviously isn't talking about him and Dan. WHen have they ever crashed the net or stod there and got teh hell beat out of them to screen? Calling out your team to do something you yourself won't do is not effective leadership.

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Killing them with kindness can only go so far in this league..at some point the twins have to find there evil twins..otherwise the only cup they will be lifting is the one that protects their family jules, or their favorite one they drink their coffee out of..

Huge hearts.. don't get me wrong

but lets face it.. the post season becomes a blood bath!!

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Hank is very political and polished with the media, so I would take pretty much everyhing he says to them with a very tiny grain of salt. This team has seen what happens when they say something real, how it gets blown out of proportion and used agains them. He's very careful not to throw any unnecessary fuel on the fire, especially this close to the end of the season. I don't think that should be taken as proof of something we have no way of knowing, namely what gets said to the guys.

The proof will be in the pudding. And I think it'll be served in a cup. :)

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Hamhuis is acknowledging they haven't been at their best.

Henrik is not bothering to feed controversy hunters.

No real contradiction there.

Nothing wrong with what either guy said.

The team's and the fans' interests are not the same as the media's - the team and fans want wins, the media want to create 'newsworthy' tabloid material.

Yes - Henrik has the heart of a Champion, and a Hart trophy, an incredible iron-man streak, the most consistent production in the NHL for years, leads by example, and has media saavy.

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As much as I love the Sedins - Hank is my favourite player in the NHL - I have to agree. They're the Canucks top scorers, their top players. Period. However, they just don't seem programmed for intense playoff hockey. They produce when things are all hunky dory. Take Game 2 against the Sharks last year for example. The flow was going the Canucks' way and there wasn't too much resistance from the Sharks. That's the kind of game the Sedins will thrive in and produce a lot of important offense. However, when things AREN'T going the Canucks' way we've seen how they don't just lose, they completely fold and bend over and I think that's a reflection of the Sedins. They don't seem to be the players that have the answer. It's not complicated, though. All you have to do is fight! I don't mean literally, I mean fight through checks, grind along the boards, play like you're trying to find some way to win the hockey game.

At the end of the day, the thing is their teammates do respect them and I you see that in the way the team follows their lead when the chips are down. We all see it. They try to be too cute and pass along the perimeter too much instead of, as Bieksa would put it, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS and working hard, getting their hands dirty to get the puck to the front of the net. When the chips are down, the Sedins barely alter their game plan. They kind of just do the same thing shift after shift as if they've got no clue what else to do to get their team over the hump and the team mirrors that. Hell, some of us here have established that same lack of changing the game plan and leadership is an issue with the coach as well.

I'll never hold it against the Sedins, though. People are who they are. They don't choose to not show up in important games, I just don't think they're built for really intense games or the rough stuff that occurs in those games.

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That's just embarrassing! Both Dan and Hank were right there and when Burrows comes in, they turn their backs and go to the bench. They both saw what was developing and disappeared leaving their team short-handed in the scrum. Other teams (and their fans) will watch this and it just adds fuel to the fire aabout how much abuse you can lay on these guys. That has to be demoralizing!!

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I can sense the CDC is starting to go really insane. I mean, more insane than the level of insanity I regularly see everyday.

I think I'm going to go outside. It's so sunny outside in Toronto today.

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No-one is questioing his personal accomplishments but his "lead by example" is not applied to all aspects of the game or leadership argument. He and Dan do not go to the tough areas (someone else has to do that); they do ont hit; they do not fight or even push back - in fact, they exit the ice when a scrum arises over how they themselves are treated.

I agree they are incredibly classy, intelligent and talented but to say they lead by example, when it comes to being a hockey team captain, is simply not true. Only in selective areas is this true and where it is not true, is painfully obvious for the team and worse, the opposition.

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