Tag Archives: Henrik Sedin

Sweden to face Switzerland with shot at winning world hockey championship on home ice

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STOCKHOLM — Sweden has the opportunity to win an IIHF World Championship as the host country for the first time since the Soviet Union did it in 1986.

Sweden blanked Finland 3-0 in Saturday's semifinal at Stockholm's Globe Arena to advance to Sunday's championship game.

The Soviet Union won a men's world hockey title 27 years ago in Moscow.

"It's about time. It's about time," Swedish forward Henrik Sedin said. "No pressure, just fun.

"It's an unbelievable feeling. It's something a lot players never get a chance to be part of so it's something you dream about when you grow up."

The Swedes will face Switzerland, which advanced after shutting out the United States 3-0 in the other semi. Julian Walker, New York Islanders prospect Nino Niederreiter and Reto Suri, with an empty-net goal, scored for the Swiss.

Loui Eriksson of the Dallas Stars meanwhile scored a pair of power-play goals for Sweden with twin brothers Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks...

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Canucks: Loyalty can be deadly

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It was telling in the aftermath of the Boston’s Game 7 shocking win that Bruins forward Milan Lucic admitted he thought it was over.

Not just the game, when the Toronto Maple Leafs went up 4-1 in the third period, but also his team’s run. But the Bruins came back to win 5-4 in overtime.

Looking at that clock ticking down when down 4-1, Lucic didn’t just see another first round bow out, he saw a window closing. He thought the team would be shaken up and maybe coach Claude Julien fired, too.

That’s some benchmark. This is a team that won the Stanley Cup just two years ago.

There are similarities to be drawn between the Bruins and the Canucks, the 2011 finalists, even if Boston is in the second round and Vancouver is not.

Both teams are generally intact from 2011. Both teams have head coaches who have been there for at least six years. Both teams oozed disaffection during the regular...

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Gallagher: Henrik’s post-mortem needs to be questioned

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Before setting off for the World Championships to play for Sweden — where that country hopes to be in the final it is hosting — Canucks captain Henrik Sedin stood up for Canucks coach Alain Vigneault at the end-of-season meet and greet with the media.

And why wouldn’t he. After all, as the captain, it’s his job to pretend it’s a wonderful sailing ship that just happened to take on a little too much water. And let’s be clear here: From Henrik’s perspective, what’s not to like?

The twins never have to kill penalties, they get the lion’s share of every power play — no matter how poorly things are going — they start almost every shift in the offensive zone and when things go awry the coach never fingers them publicly.

They’re in the team’s leadership group, which is the management sounding board for any moves they might be planning to make, and the worst blame that ever comes the...

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Canucks star Henrik Sedin sticks up for coach Alain Vigneault, expects changes

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VANCOUVER — Canucks captain Henrik Sedin conceded Thursday he expects changes to the team after a second straight quick playoff ouster. But what kind of changes? A new coach? Some new core players?

Henrik proved he can stickhandle through an exit media scrum as well he stickhandles through an opponent's zone coverage.

“I think if things aren't going well for a few years or a few seasons, there are going to be changes,” said the captain, standing in a hallway at Rogers Arena. “I don't know what you mean by big changes but there are going to be some, I'm sure, whatever that is. I know our owners and our management aren't happy being an average team. It's not up to me to make those changes so I can't tell you what they want to do. We'll see what happens.”

The most likely change will be behind the bench where head coach Alain Vigneault is on extremely thin ice after the...

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Cam Cole: Daniel Sedin’s penalty cruel and unusual punishment

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Out in the hallway, where the Vancouver Canucks brought Henrik Sedin to be interviewed because the tiny visitors’ locker room at HP Pavilion couldn’t have handled the crush, reporters crowded around the captain and ... how to put this? He said a bad word.

It rhymed with woolspit.

Coming from this thoroughly decent gentleman, it was as out of character as ... well, as his brother Daniel earning a post-game, game misconduct penalty for abusive language, for telling referee Kelly Sutherland what he thought of the boarding penalty in overtime that cost the Canucks a 4-3, season-ending decision Tuesday night at the hands of the San Jose Sharks.

No matter how you feel about the Canucks, the idea that their season, and almost inarguably their era of excellence, should end on an undeserved penalty to one of the most decent human beings in the game is damned poor symbolism.

In the hall, Henrik stood up for Daniel, just as...

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Gallagher: Unrealistic to think Vancouver had makings for another Cup run

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SAN JOSE—Should it come as any great surprise the Vancouver Canucks' long held illusion that hey could win a Stanley Cup with this group should come to an end so quickly in a city built on the technology that changes the way we view many things in our lives.

In the last stages of what ended an era in Vancouver, there was one last valiant attempt to escape their fate, but a couple of ridiculous calls ended that thought as quickly as it had arrived, which was the start of the third period.

As an app summons anything from a newspaper to a video game on any device, this team has gone from contender to rebuilder having been passed by in part by the changes in the game and until the third period, the resolve of those playing it in these uniforms. Two years ago they had the best team in franchise history and now they have perhaps the most disappointing, this...

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Sharks 4 Canucks 3 OT: San Jose sweeps, season over for Vancouver

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SAN JOSE — It was about winning any way to play another day.

Backed by the superlative goaltending of Cory Schneider and third-period goals by Alex Burrows and Alex Edler, the Vancouver Canucks appeared ready to take a bold step away from the playoff ledge that wouldn't plunge them into an early offseason of criticism and change.

A victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday — the first in the Western Conference quarterfinal series and the first this season — was less than five minutes away when elements that have defined the matchup came into play. Kevin Bieksa took a cross-checking penalty, the vaunted Sharks power play went to work and Joe Pavelski's backhander atthe side of the net, his fifth goal of the series, forced overtime.

The issue was finally settled when Patrick Marleau scored on the power play at 13:18 to provide the 4-3 decision with Daniel Sedin sent off for boarding on what appeared to be a...

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Canucks swept out of playoffs by Sharks, with likely sweeping changes to come

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — There’s no need to embellish how bad the Vancouver Canucks have been in the playoffs since reaching the Stanley Cup Final two years ago.

They have now lost 10 of their last 11 playoff games and for the second straight year have made an early first-round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This time they were swept.

The San Jose Sharks beat the Canucks 4-3 in overtime Tuesday night at the HP Pavilion to take the series 4-0.

Patrick Marleau scored at 13:18 of overtime, tapping in a loose puck in the Vancouver crease, to give the Sharks the win.

A first-round sweep figures to lead to sweeping changes, both on and off the ice, for the Canucks.

• PHOTOS: Canucks fall to Sharks in overtime

The jobs of head coach Alain Vigneault and his staff are most certainly on the line and general manager Mike Gillis is going to face some uncomfortable questions from ownership over the team's...

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Canucks Game Day: Burrows believes taking risks off rush will extend series

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SAN JOSE — It’s not you, it’s me. Or maybe it’s you and me.

They have met and talked it out among themselves. They heard how Roberto Luongo strongly suggested the level of personal sacrifice required to play beyond tonight,  but they will be backstopped by Cory Schneider. And instead of Kevin Bieksa playing the predictable playoff blame game Monday by accusing the San Jose Sharks of embellishment to draw penalties in an attempt to shift the focus, the Vancouver Canucks must draw upon a collective resolve.

They must find a way to score more than one or two goals if they expect to avoid being swept in their Western Conference quarterfinal series. And whatever their identity is, or was, they should take it to the Sharks instead of putting such an emphasis on defence. Take a chance. Blow the zone. Hang on to pucks and gain the offensive zone instead of the lame dump-and-chase game. Get to Antti Niemi....

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Talk to Burrows and Kesler about diving: Bad boy Burish takes a poke at Bieksa’s ‘embellishment’ comments

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SAN JOSE — Adam Burish has never warmed up to the Vancouver Canucks. So when Kevin Bieksa accused Logan Couture and Joe Thornton of embellishing hits to draw penalties in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinal series, Burish heated up Tuesday morning prior to Game 4.

“If I was him, while he was up on his soap box and trying to save the integrity of the game and all that stuff, I’d swing by player No. 14 (Alex Burrows) and player No. 17 (Ryan Kesler) and have a little talk about diving and the integrity thing,” said the San Jose Sharks winger.

“Then they can work their way over to our room, but I’d start with their room.

“It’s silly to sit there and call out the refs and worry about what we’re doing. Please, keep worrying about us. We’re going to worry about what we can do better instead of having props and interviews and video evidence and all...

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Canucks: Bieksa calls out Sharks for embellishment tricks

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — It was a masterful performance by Kevin Bieksa.

With the Canucks struggling to win faceoffs and struggling to score and on the brink of being swept in their Western Conference quarterfinal series, the defenceman switched the talking point on Monday.

The manner in which the San Jose Sharks are using embellishment to draw penalties and fuel a potent power play that has struck four times was the basis of Bieksa’s beautifully timed delivery.

And if it results in the supposed embellishers being penalized on Tuesday in Game 4 — Bieksa cited Logan Couture and Joe Thornton as the guilty parties in Game 3 — then the Canucks believe it could lead to a Game 4 win.

It was a bold and calculated move by Bieksa because Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows are usually the targets of embellishment angst by the opposition. Now it’s Couture and Thornton in the Canucks’ crosshairs.

“It doesn’t take away the fact that it (embellishment)...

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Canucks: Raymond not alone in the crosshairs

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SAN JOSE — When approached before the Stanley Cup playoffs for perspective on his post-season struggles, Mason Raymond initially recoiled.

He believed the reporter only sought out the Vancouver Canucks winger when there was indifference in his play or uncertainty about his future.

In the past, queries were directed at Raymond’s career-threatening back injury, a playoff goal drought that has reached seven goals in 54 career games — the last one coming May 18, 2011 — and his playing future as an unrestricted free agent.

Outside of regaining his health, other concerns remain relevant as the Canucks attempt tonight to avoid being swept by the Sharks in the first-round playoff series.

San Jose leads 3-0.

Raymond gets targeted because he has blazing speed and an underrated wrist shot, but hasn’t scored in 11 games and has but one goal in the last 17.

He’s not alone.

Everybody is in the crosshairs and you’d need a shotgun blast to spread enough shrapnel to hit the...

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Game Within Game: Sharks score on a softie and Canucks crash

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THREE STARS

ONE – Logan Couture, Sharks. Two goals, two assists, three shots, three blocked shots and an awesome 15-for-18 on the draw.

TWO – Joe Pavelski, Sharks. Two goals, one assist, six shots, two blocked shots.

THREE – Patrick Marleau, Sharks. One goal, seven shots, two hits.

PIVOTAL POINT – With the Canucks still in the game entering the third, and down only 2-1, Cory Schneider allowed one of the biggest McSofties of his career on a harmless Logan Couture shot from the left wing and the roof – crash! – came tumbling down on coach Alain Vigneault's crew.

BY THE NUMBERS – The Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau goals nine seconds apart early in the third period set a dubious Canuck record for fastest two goals against in a playoff game... The Canucks failed to score a first-period goal on the Sharks for the sixth time in their six meetings, including three in the regular season. The Sharks have scored five...

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