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Friday, January 26, 2001
Vancouver's experiment in duality
By Mike Heika
Special to ESPN.com
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You gotta give this to Vancouver Canucks rookie forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin – the two kids really seem to get along.
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They go on the ice together, they come off the ice together. They go to the bus together and pal around together. Heck, Canucks GM Brian Burke didn't go to all of that trouble to get both of them for no reason.
So when the suggestion comes after 50 or so NHL games that it might be time to break up the Swedish twins, there is a collective cringe throughout the Canucks organization.
"I don't see the need for that," Vancouver coach Marc Crawford said. "They have a special sense for each other on the ice, and we want to keep developing that."
Crawford – with the not so subtle urging of Burke behind him – might just qualify for genius status if his handling of the Sedins continues to work out this well. While the 20-year-old rookies have had their ups and downs – so much so that many in Vancouver have urged Crawford to play them on separate lines – the coach continues to stick by them. On Wednesday, he matched the Sedins once again with winger Trent Klatt and then did the unthinkable: He asked them to check the best players on the Phoenix Coyotes – the red-hot line of Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk and Shane Doan.
The results: Vancouver won 6-2.
"You have to play defense, that's all there is to it, that's something they have to learn," Klatt said just a few days before the switch. "It's great to score goals, but you have to be disciplined, too."
And, just like that, the Sedins learned – or at least took the first steps.
Crawford said the growing process of the second and third picks in the 1999 draft is something the Canucks anticipated. They allowed the Sedins to spend an extra year in Sweden when the the organization really wanted them in North America. After waiting a year, it doesn't seem time to rush into anything drastic – like a split-up – just yet.
"There are going to be ups and downs, just as there would be with any young players," Crawford said. "They each have had to learn, but we feel they're best off learning together."
Daniel Sedin said the travel of the NHL has been a particularly burdensome revelation.
"Our longest trip in Sweden is maybe an hour or an hour and a half," he said. "Here, you come fly every where and come back at all hours, it's a lot different," he said. "That's been one of toughest things for us."
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We like to play against good players, because it gets yourself playing better, too. It was fun to not let them score. ” |
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— Henrik Sedin |
Then there is the next toughest thing: While the Sedins have instictive games that have been honed over seven years of competitive play together, they also have established a modus operandi. There is already a book on the twins, who love to cycle the puck low and then beat your standing defensemen with quick passes through the slot. While defenses first backed off to push the twins to the perimeter, opponents now are finding it's easier to out muscle them along the boards. With the smaller ice surface in North America, the Sedins don't have nearly as much time to work their wizardry.
In fact, before the Phoenix game, the two had combined for six points in 20 games and Daniel was a minus-8 in that span.
So it became Crawford's job to find his own twist to the Sedin's game. He gave them a new role – a checking role – and they seem to love it.
"We like to play against good players, because it gets yourself playing better, too," Henrik told the Vancouver Sun after the Phoenix game. "It was fun to not let them score."
Though much heralded, the Sedins no longer are among the rookie scoring leaders. Daniel has 21 points and is eighth on the team in scoring. Henrik has 18 points and is 10th. But that doesn't mean they can't get better, that doesn't mean they should be broken up.
"We have played together for seven years, we know how to adjust," Daniel said. "It takes time, but we always seem to find some way to do it."
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CHECK IT OUT
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Hockey talk
"I'd have to say that for consistency, this has been my best year. I'll be 34 soon, but it's not as if I don't think I'll be a better goaltender at 34 or 35 than I am now."
– Coyotes goalie Sean Burke, who is 5-2-1 in his last eight starts with a .916 save percentage.
The number
The Calgary Flames have given up a goal on the first shot in 11 games this season.
Infirmary report
The Ducks' season has spun completely out of control. Just when it seems Paul Kariya will be back in the lineup after battling a foot injury, Anaheim is having nagging problems with Oleg Tverdovsky (back), Ruslan Salei (migraine) and Marty McInnis (groin). Steve Rucchin (concussion, indefinite), Mike Leclerc (knee, four weeks) and Niclas Havelid (knee, out for season) are not in the Ducks' short-term plans, and that means the long-term plans are for plenty of rest in the offseason. Anaheim was 14 points out of a playoff spot through Wednesday's games.
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Inside the locker room
The Dallas Stars are at a cross-roads. The used to throttle great teams and come up flat against the dregs. Now, it has no problem beating the bad teams, but can't seem to get past the good ones. That could mean the problem isn't a mental one, but a physical one. In the past, the Stars always corrected their focus problem in time for the playoffs. But if the problem is lack of energy – or even worse, fading talent – how do they fix that? Fans in Dallas are anxiously waiting to see exactly what the problem is.
Central Division
Larry Murphy cracked the 1,600 games played barrier Wednesday against the Nashville Predators, becoming only the second player in NHL history to reach that milestone. Gordie Howe retired with 1,767 NHL games under his belt. Murphy, who will turn 40 on March 8, also has played in 209 playoff games. He has made the playoffs for 17 consecutive seasons and has won four Stanley Cups. … The Blackhawks have lost center Alexei Zhamnov for 2-6 weeks due to a fractured larynx. Zhamnov was hit in the throat with a shot in a 4-0 loss to the Penguins. Veteran minor leaguer Chris Herperger (5 goals, 8 assists in 30 games) has stepped up to the first line. … With all of the injuries, the Blues should be relying on youngster Marty Reasoner a little bit more. But the center was recently returned to the minors and likely will be included in any trade talks the Blues engage in.
Northwest Division
The Canucks say they are going to stick with goalie Felix Potvin, and the 29-year-old netminder is starting to blossom under that confidence. Potvin lost a 2-1 game in Dallas in which he was strong and followed that with a 6-2 win over the Coyotes. Expect him to get the majority of the important starts. … Anson Carter is slumping in Edmonton. He has just two goals in January. … The sellouts in St. Paul have been great for the Wild, which is 11-8-7-2 at home. But Minnesota has struggled on the road (6-14-1) and has just started a six-game road trip.
Pacific Division
The Stars will be without checking-line forward Mike Keane (ankle) for 3-6 weeks. That's a huge hit to the team because it has already been struggling with the loss of Guy Carbonneau due to retirement. Watch for Ken Hitchcock to have to put more trust in Shaun Van Allen, Ted Donato and Grant Marshall. … The Coyotes have no idea when they might get Jyrki Lumme (neck) back into the lineup, so they are relying on Ossi Vaananen to fill in. The rookie hasn't disappointed. He has 12 points and is a plus-3. … The Sharks have been slowly adapting to losing center Vincent Damphousse for the regular season with a shoulder injury. Youngsters Marco Sturm, Jeff Friesen and Patrick Marleau have stepped up. … Trade rumors continue to fly and Rob Blake appears resigned to being dealt, but he hasn't allowed it to affect his play. The Kings' captain was outstanding in a 3-1 road trip. The key to the Kings' season could be if he is around to help them in an upcoming eight-game homestand.
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News covers the Western Conference for ESPN.com.
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