Entry posted by mzator21
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When Henrik Sedin was drafted in 1999 along with his brother Daniel 2nd and 3rd overall respectively, Canucks fans and the NHL had no idea what they were getting. The twin brothers entered the NHL in the 2000-2001 season and showed a little bit of why they were drafted so high. Daniel netted 20 goals in his rookie season while Henrik bagged 29 points. These first points were the start of something extraordinary as the brothers have become one of the most potent dynamic duos in the NHL. Ever since they started playing professional hockey they have played together. That is why then GM Brian Burke tried so hard to draft both of them because they were better together then apart. We can now see why as they have bagged over 1000 points between the two of them mostly playing together.
Ever since they were drafted, every year they have worked hard in the off season to improve themselves. This hard work explains why they have steadily increased their point totals every season. Henrik and Daniel have become one of the best, if not the best dynamic duo in the NHL. Every team going into a game against the Vancouver Canucks have to devise a game plan to shut down the Sedins. Occasionally this has been a problem for the brothers as they have fallen in the trap of getting away from the game that has made the successful and trying to become something they are not. This was prevolent in the 2007-2008 playoffs when they were completely shut down against the Anaheim Ducks. The checking line of Moen, Paulsson and Niedermayer played physical against them and made them a non factor. At this point the Sedins were still getting accustomed to being number one line players. The Canucks also did not have enough depth to survive without the contributions from the Sedins. The result was another second round exit.
2009 – The discovery of Alex Burrows (aka the third Sedin)
On February 3rd 2009, in the midst of a potentially catastrophic 9 game losing streak at home, in an act of desperation head coach Alain Vigneault put checking line winger Alex Burrows with the Sedins on the number one line. Before the game, fans were a buzz on the forums wondering what will come of this move. Burrows was thought of as a very effective checker, but never as a scoring line winger. The result was Burrows scoring the game winning goal short handed, breaking the long 9 game drought. The game also saw Burrows play very well with the Sedin twins. This success made Vigneault keep Burrows with the Sedins for the foreseeable future. Burrows was so successful with them that he put up 28 goals. A season later, playing almost exclusively with them, he put up 35 goals while being his usual agitating self. This discovery of the third Sedin also helped Henrik and Daniel to career highs of 112 and 83 points respectively.
The Evolution of 2010 Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy Winner Henrik Sedin
When brother Daniel Sedin got injured long term in the early stages of the 2009-2010 season, Canucks fans were worried to say the least. Henrik had never played long term without his brother so it was an unknown how he would play. Would he play like a number one center or an inconsistent number 2 or 3 center? Two months later, Henrik had 15 goals and was chugging along at a point per game pace. Henrik reinvented his game to include a “going to the net” mentality and a “shoot first, pass later” part to his game. This made him a much more potent threat as a centerman. Opposing teams had to think twice when checking him as he was now a threat to score as well as make a perfect pass to a line mate. When Daniel returned to the lineup in December, Henrik did not miss a beat and Daniel just cruised along with him putting up multiple point games almost every second night. By the end of the season Daniel had put together a career season in just 68 games while Henrik became the first Art Ross trophy winner in Canuck history beating out Alex Ovechkin while also eventually winning the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. Henrik is now considered one of the elite centerman in the NHL. After years of critique and ridicule the Sedins have shown the hockey world that they are a force to be reckoned with. Now that the Canucks have the depth to give them even more room, who knows what the NHL's most potent dynamic duo will bring the Canucks, may be the franchise's first Stanley Cup.
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