Every Goal, Defenseman Edition: Christian Ehrhoff

Last year's Canuck defense corps scored 42 of the team's 268 goals, an impressive total good for second among team scoring by defenseman to the Phoenix Coyotes. Offense from the blue line was preached all season long, and the offensive abilities of a newly-acquired Christian Ehrhoff and a still-developing Alex Edler were allowed to flourish. With this year's acquisitions of Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis, as well as, hopefully, a healthy Kevin Bieksa, these numbers could be even higher. But why are we looking ahead? Let's take this week to revisit each and every one of the 42 goals scored by a Canuck defenseman. In bold, you will find each goal's chronological standing among the 42. Up today: Christian Ehrhoff and his 14 goals.


1. Oct. 5 vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets (2)
Ehrhoff's first goal of the season is a pretty typical defender's goal: he slaps one past Steve Mason, which was common last year. The majority of Canuck defenseman's goals are of this sort, because it's part of their offensive philosophy. They work down low, primarily, try to draw traffic and create chaos there, then feed to open defenseman for shots and rebounds. Sometimes, as in this case, those shots just go right in. How boring. More interesting to me is the forward line that's on the ice: it's Steve Bernier, Darcy Hordichuk, and Kyle Wellwood. We will never see this line again... and now I'm crying.

2. Oct. 16 vs. the Calgary Flames (5)
I keep forgetting that Michael Grabner was with the Canucks early in the season too. Here he is, in the background of this goal. Anyway, this one is Kesler and Ehrhoff, as was often the case last season. While the Sedins have a special bond with Salo, Ehrhoff seemed to function as the fourth forward with the second line, likely because he could keep up with them. On the power play, he takes a drop pass from Kesler off the rush, and wrists it past Kipper.

3. Oct. 27 vs. the Detroit Red Wings (6)
Like Ehrhoff's last goal, this one is the result of a Kesler pass on the rush. One of the reasons Ehrhoff had success with the Canucks, as well as a reason he was a great pickup is that Ehrhoff is a rush defenseman--he doesn't need to be stationary to receive a pass and shoot. That mobility made him a unique member of the d-corps, and one of the reasons he, Kesler, and Raymond seemed to work so well together. Unlike the Sedins, who stickhandle in a phone booth and work a magical cycle game, Raymond and Kesler never stop moving, and to play with them, you have to do the same.

4. Nov. 20 vs. the Colorado Avalanche (9)
Ehrhoff's first multi-goal game as a Canuck begins with a power play one-timer. Wellwood wins the draw to Edler, to feeds it to Ehrhoff, who slaps it high, stick-side for the tally. I've said more than enough about Edler's power play passing in previous posts of the Every Game series. In summary: I think he's good at it.

5. Nov. 20 vs. the Colorado Avalanche (10)
As I said earlier, Ehrhoff works primarily with Kesler and Ramond. They pick up the assists as he drifts into the slot after their good board work.

6. Nov. 28 vs. the Edmonton Oilers (11)
Don't be fooled by the flubbed call--it's Christian Ehhoff, not Kevin Bieksa who slaps this one home. Again, a typical defensemen goal. I said earlier that Ehrhoff is a defensemen who can play on the rush, but that doesn't mean he lacks a great slap shot.

7. Dec. 3 vs. the Philadelphia Flyers (16)
Ehrhoff here does his best Salo impression, taking a Sedin pass and one-timing it past Brian Boucher. Daniel's stickwork to get open, draw some defenders away from Ehrhoff, and then set it up, is typical wizardous sedinerie.

8. Dec. 26 vs. the Edmonton Oilers (20)
Christian Ehrhoff with the end-to-end rush. He works a beautiful give and go with... wait for it... Rick Rypien, and then takes the "go" and roofs it on Deslauriers. It's a beautiful goal and a testament to Ehrhoff's speed, as Gilbert is no Andrew Alberts.

9. Dec. 31 vs. the St. Louis Blues (21)
This goal is borne out of an excellent pass from Kyle Wellwood. Kesler gains the zone and goes straight to the net for a screen, and Wellwood uses his vision to find Ehrhoff across the ice for the overtime winner.

10. Jan. 21 vs. the Dallas Stars (25)
This goal is nearly identical to Brad Lukowich's goal against the Buffalo Sabres. There's a back pass, some Sedin magic (actually it's Burrows, but whatever), and a defensemen streaking through the middle where there's space as a result of the threat of the forwards. Ehrhoff's speed and ability to read the play is on display here, as are his hands. Watching this now and noting that the Sedins pulled off the same play twice, part of me wonders if this isn't a play that's been drawn up in the locker room. The trick here is the way they freeze the other teams' defensemen. Once they stop skating, one of the Canucks defenseman comes streaking through the center of the zone at top speed. It's kind of brilliant, but requires a speedy defenseman and incredible stickhandling in order to pull off. Luckily, the Sedins and Ehrhoff are up to the task.

11. Jan. 27 vs. the St. Louis Blues (27)
Ehrhoff here with a Mikael Samuelsson impression, shooting the puck from a ridiculous angle and having success. Note, again, the net presence of Kyle Wellwood, which we at Pass it to Bulis will always claim is vital. In fairness to Welly, he does always seem to be there. The highlights don't lie.

12. Mar. 2 vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets (30)
Another overtime winner, this time Ehrhoff is the fortune recipient of a lucky bounce, as Kesler's attempt to redirect the puck in actually sends it behind the net. It bounces off the wall and right to Ehrhoff, who puts it in from a tight angle. He barely gets anything on it, but Mason is so far out of position it hardly matters. Pay attention, yet again, to Alex Burrows' passing ability and vision.

13. Mar. 10 vs. the Phoenix Coyotes (33)
This play is all Pavol Demitra, as he somehow coaxes Ilya Brzygalov into leaving the crease and going on a holiday to the corner boards. Then he centers the puck. Ehrhoff is there and he puts it into the open net. What does Brzygalov think he's going to do from there? Here you get a sense, though, of how quickly Ehrhoff can go from the blue line to the crease, which may be one of his greatest assets.

14. Mar. 24 vs. the Anaheim Ducks (37)
Ehrhoff's 14th goal of the season comes on a point shot that beats Jonas Hiller cleanly. It's a typical defenseman's goal, and, this late into this list, I have nothing to add.

Why it's Been 17 Years

The most ridiculous thing I hear in hockey is that Gary Bettman's hatred of Canada has led him to rig the game against the six remaining Canadian teams. Why else would Canada have such a long cold streak? A Canadian team last hoisted the Cup in 1993. If it's not a conspiracy, what is it? A curse?

No, it's the fans.

With the many many ways the media now penetrate into the game, fans have a better look into every aspect of the game than they did in decades past. One can sit for hours straight at a computer and read page upon page of commentary, rumor and discussion about players. Fans wanting information have instant gratification, and that's a useful tool. I'm so glad that technology has propelled us this far, into an age where it is almost impossible to destroy information.

That said, it allows obsessives to easily obsess. Worse, in Canadian cities there's some sort of ridiculous sense of entitlement. We like hockey better than those American cities. In Canada, football worries about competing with hockey, and not vice versa. Why should a city with no natural snow, that isn't watching the game anyway, hoist the Cup?

That sense of entitlement turns nasty when they lose. It turns vicious. It gets stupid. Most of all, it gets distracting. Players who sign in Canadian cities sound excited about the added pressure, but they seem to expect it to be a lot more reasonable than it is. Canadian cities expect results, and whether that's fair or not, what isn't fair is that when their team doesn't win, they feel justified in treating the players like garbage. In every Canadian city is a ridiculous vitriol machine ready to tear its hockey team to shreds.

It happened in Ottawa, where Ray Emery, after some brilliant play taking over the starting position and helping his team to the Stanley Cup Finals, was ultimately run out of town, surrounded by questions of his attitude and stories of his coming late to practice. Instead of focusing on how far he'd carried his team, Ottawa focused on how he'd played poorly in the Cup Finals, and blamed their loss on him. It was their loss, as Emery is still a talented goaltender, who played well in the KHL and for the Flyers, before he was injured. The Senators have had question marks in goal ever since.

It happened in Montreal, where Carey Price was blamed for a series loss to Philadelphia in his rookie season. Despite showing flashes of brilliance in that series, a few flukey goals by Philly and a few ridiculous defensive breakdowns made his numbers in the series look bad, and the Canadiens' insistence on shooting the puck directly at Biron's logo made him look great in comparison. Canadiens fans haven't had faith in Price since, and unfortunately, Price lets that kind of stuff get to him.

It's happening in Calgary to Jarome Iginla. It happened in Edmonton to Joffrey Lupul. It's happening in Toronto to Phil Kessel.

But still, despite all the ridiculousness that goes on in the other five cities, Vancouverites are particularly good at it.

Markus Naslund spent the whole duration of his captaincy being blamed for the Canucks' not hoisting the Cup. Todd Bertuzzi... well never mind, he did screw up pretty big. Still, after coming back... he couldn't come back. Up until last season, the Sedin twins were criticized to no end as being second-line talent, not being true offensive stars, etc. Remember the old "Sedins for Jokinen" trade proposals? How about Kevin Bieksa? Even Trevor Linden -- oh sure, in 1994 he was our hero, but in his last couple seasons here, we couldn't give the guy a break. Canucks fans are already doing it to Cody Hodgson. How about Roberto Luongo? He's got to be my favorite example -- people yelling at him that he can't stand the pressure of their yelling at him.

These are issues that just don't exist in the American markets. Joe Sakic was a great leader, and Colorado fans knew it, but when the Avs missed the playoffs, no one threw things at Sakic, no one yelled at him in the street, and no one sat down next to him in a restaurant to offer HIS opinion on how Joe could improve his game. No one even questioned whether he was the right guy to wear the C. They just let Joe do his thing, and he brought them two Stanley Cups. Scott Stevens was never torn to shreds in New Jersey, and he presided over all three of their Cup victories. Steve Yzerman didn't have a whole lot of failure to be blamed for, but you can bet if his team missed a step, no one would be calling for Stevie Y's head.

It baffles me that no one questions whether these men could have accomplished the same things if they lived in cities that were completely unforgiving of every misstep. Cities where you can post a .913 save percentage and 40 wins and still be slagged all summer long. Cities where there are masses of vitriolic pessimists waiting for a single slip-up so they can call for your head in blogs, newspapers, on the radio and on television.

So, yeah, it's like Skeeter said -- "it wasn't a necessary change from the team's standpoint, but it may have been a necessary change from a PR standpoint." Thanks, fans. Once again, a good man and a great hockey player have been torn down because you feel entitled. Because anything less than a Cup victory is a disappointment, and someone needs to lose his job.

If Vancouver doesn't go another 40 years without winning a Cup, it won't be because they didn't try.

I Watched This [YoungStars] Game: Canucks Prospects vs. Oilers Prospects, September 12, 2010

I Watched This Game is a recurring feature on Pass it to Bulis!, chronicling the observations and insights of two people who watched a hockey game.


If you're new to Pass it to Bulis, the I Watched This Game feature is our way of reviewing the Canucks games we just watched, with an eye towards the things we noticed, what to watch for in future games, and hilarious mishaps that absolutely must be documented. The I Watched This Game series is where terrible PiTB player nicknames, in-jokes and grudges are born, so it's always worth the read.

We decided that we would fire up the IWTG series for the YoungStars tournament, but I'm going to warn you in advance that this is likely a grave mistake on our part. Why? First, we hardly know any of these players, we don't know their numbers, and it's hard to make out who is doing what on a live stream of this quality anyway. Our observation skills are therefore limited. Let's take a moment, by the way, to recognize the incredible quality of CTV's olympic stream. It downright spoiled me; the typically rubbish Canucks preseason stream stung even harder this time around as a result.

Yes, the stream is better than usual, but is horrendously terrible really an upgrade over horrifically unforgivable? It crapped out on Skeeter and I several times yesterday early in the second period, then stayed down for the last half of the game. We wound up listening to the broadcast on the radio, and our observing skills suffered as a result.

This really is unacceptable. I think the YoungStars tournament is a brilliant idea. It gives GMs a chance to assess talent in a closed environment, it gives players a genuine chance to show their stuff, and it gives a small town an opportunity to host some games of import and meaning. But, it also gives fans of these teams a chance to whet their appetite for hockey, build excitement and momentum for the season, and spread the word about a team's future. From a marketing perspective, there are lots of positives. The problem is that all of those positives are negated when your stream sucks and the fans feel like you're not thinking of them. I recognize that everything about the quality of the broadcast has improved over the last three years, but it's still not good enough, and I know for a fact that it can be better.

That's the end of my rant. Here are some observations.

• The Canucks prospects lost 4-1, but does anybody really care about the score? This is a chance to see bits and pieces of the Canucks potential future, and, in some cases, the potential near future. This is one of the few games that has little to do with overall team effort, and more to do with individual success stories.
• Speaking of individual success stories, it was kind of frustrating that they were all on the Oilers side. Eberle, Pajaarvi and Hall were probably the three best forwards on the ice, but are we surprised? First, they're three of the top prospects in the world, and second, they were playing together. If Jordan Schroeder was playing with a healthy Cody Hodgson, I suspect that they might have stood out.
• On the Canucks side, it was tough to know who was doing what, when. Aaron Volpatti stood out--he was a wrecking ball out there, creating chances and causing havoc. But he's twenty-five, and running around attacking all these kids isn't really that impressive. In fact, it's nearly an arrestable offense. Aaron Vol-Pedobear? Note: nicknames! I imagine him skating around, trying to lure the other players into his van, which he would likely call the Volpaddy Wagon.
• Kevin Connauton had some defensive lapses, but boy, did he look good quarterbacking the power play. His goal was a bit of a softie, but I'm sure he'll take it. When you're the only one on your team's score sheet, and you're a defenseman touted for offensive upside, I'd say you're doing quite well for yourself. I am stoked to see more of this kid.
• Schroeder was the best Canuck forward, but I was watching for him. I missed a lot of stuff.
  
• I thought Stefan Schneider looked big, but he is big, so that's not that impressive.
  
• Eddie Lack played tremendously. If he had played the whole game, it's possible it might have gone differently. Methinks he was a pretty good find.
• What was the deal with the sound? It was bad. It was unsound. Thanks, I'll be here all night.
• Those white helmets looked kind of dumb. What do you think was the thinking behind that? "These kids aren't ready for blue helmets! Are you trying to destroy their futures? Is that what you want? THINK!"
  

Here's hoping there's more to talk about after tonight's game. If you want to know a little more about these players, check out Skeeter's posts on the invitees to prospects camp and this YoungStars tournament.

Thanks for reading. I'm going to watch today's game, and if the stream is better and my boss doesn't realize what I'm up to, I'll have more to say tomorrow.

Roberto Luongo Relinquishes the Captaincy

It looks like the horse is finally dead. After Twitter erupted with news of Luongo giving up the captaincy of the Canucks, the official press release has sealed the deal. Luongo closes the door with some patented Ryan Walters corporate leadership-talk regarding focusing on the "ultimate goal."

Qris and Harrison accurately depicted my stance on the issue with their two posts, so I won't go into it too much, other than to say that it wasn't a necessary change from the team's standpoint, but it may have been a necessary change from a PR standpoint.

Every Goal Mikael Samuelsson Scored Last Season

This is the third and final entry for this weekend in the "Every Goal" series. Stay tuned next weekend as I'll be compiling every goal scored by Daniel & Henrik Sedin, as well as Alex Burrows. That's 93 goals, so I'm not looking forward to it. I'll likely be motivated, however, because there are Canucks(ish) hockey games to be watched this week. That is sweet.

Mikael Samuelsson was something of a surprise to Canucks fans last season. He joined the team from the Red Wings on a 7.5 million, 3 year contract. It seemed high, and many were skeptical he'd have an impact worth his contract, but he proved the doubters wrong with a 30-goal season, timely production, and versatility that saw him play everywhere from the first to the third line, with success in all situations. He always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, he put the whole team in a shooting mentality with his shoot-first approach to entering the offensive zone, and he was a greatteam guy. In short: he was good, see for yourself. Here is every goal Mikael Samuelsson scored last season.

1. Oct. 1 vs. the Calgary Flames

I said earlier in this series' that Edler's passing ability on the power play was sorely underrated, and here we see it again. Samuelsson's first goal of the season comes on a tip from a brilliant Edler pass. Notice as well: as soon as Sammy scores, he takes a crosscheck from a Flames player and swings his stick in retaliation. He doesn't connect, and it's a good thing. The whole thing happens in one fluid moment, but it's early evidence of Samuelsson's propensity for reacting to a slight without thinking first (you know, like a famous interview).

2. Oct. 7 vs. the Montreal Canadiens

Another power play goal, this one on a rebound. Samuelsson joins Wellwood in front of the net, and he's left completely alone. I like the little push on Wellwood's back to let him know he's there. As soon as Wellwood realizes Samuellson's with him, he just starts nudging Mara away from the crease. Crazy observation: Wellwood is moving Paul Mara. With what, one might ask, his mind? I didn't know he had the core strength for that.

3. Oct. 16 vs. the Calgary Flames

So far all of Samuelsson's goals have come on the powerplay. This one's a tap-in, as Henrik's cross-ice pass (which also would have resulted in a tap-in) doesn't get through, but Bernier's does, and Samuelsson buries it into the open net. I wonder if Bernier meant to do that, or if this was a failed tap-in of his own that wound up working out for us.

4. Oct. 17 vs. the Minnesota Wild

Scored from a similar position to the previous one, Samuelsson picks up a rebound off of an Alex Burrows spin attempt, gets it from his backhand to his forehand quickly, and roofs it. A skillful goal from a player whose goal-scoring prowess was already beginning to surprise. One thing I like about this powerplay tactic--the down-low pass followed by the spin and attempt to jam it--is if it doesn't work, the puck's momentum spits it out to the open man at the side of the net.

5. Oct. 21 vs. the Chicago Blackhawks

I remember this goal and thinking it was awesome. Brian Campbell tries a lazy drop pass in his own zone, with Samuelsson forechecking, and he pokes it away from Pat Kane. By the time realizes Samuelsson has the puck, he fires a great wrist shot past Niemi. One reason Samuelsson fit well with Raymond and Kesler last season was that he forechecked as hard as they did.

6. Oct. 29 vs. the Los Angeles Kings (at 0:52 of clip)

In this clip, Samuelsson one-times a sweet Alex Burrows pass right in front of the net. In the Kesler edition of the "Every Goal" series, I pointed out that Burrows' passing has become a major asset for him over these past two seasons, and here is more evidence of that. I know I'm claiming that nearly every one of our players is a great passer, but it's true: the Sedins are incredible passers, but Raymond, Burrows, and Edler rarely get their due. The Canucks are a very good passing team.

7. Nov. 3 vs. the New York Rangers

Speaking of forechecking, here's another example. The Raymond-Kesler-Samuelsson line was rarely all that pretty (which made for a nice counterbalance with the wizardous sedinerie of the first line. The second line just forechecked hard and potted rebounds. That's what we have here, as Raymond dumps the puck in and forces the Rangers defenseman to turn it over to Kesler. Kesler shoots it, Lundqvist gives up a rebound, and Samuelsson puts it home. Textbook for these guys.

8. Nov. 3 vs. the New York Rangers

Another garbage power play goal off a rebound, this one from a Kesler shot, but again I want to draw your attention to Alex Edler's incredible pass to get this one started. Look at it, marvel at it, recognize how good he is.

9. Nov. 20 vs. the Colorado Avalanche

The first of what I would like to call "Sam's Surprises". These are the goals where you went, "Was that a shot?" "That went in?" "What the Heck?" Samuelsson scored a few of them. Pay special attention to John Shorthouse's commentary, as he goes to say, "Samuelsson, for Schneider, in front," but when the puck takes that weird bounce, he just stops at "in." Way to improvise, Shorty.

10. Nov. 28 vs. the Edmonton Oilers

The passing on this play is ridiculous. Let's give Samuelsson credit for the one-timer, but Alex Edler's powerplay passing again factors into it, as does Mason Raymond's this time around. I've been banging the "Mason Raymond is a pretty good passer" drum for a couple days now, and this is another good example. His only knock is that he still can't do it at top speed with regularity. That may come this season.

11. Dec. 29 vs. the Phoenix Coyotes

This might be the only time I say this, but much of the credit for this goal goes to Darcy Hordichuk. He goes hard (really, really hard) to the net, drawing defenders and creating a messy screen. Samuelsson does what he always does and shoots the puck, and with that sort of traffic in front, there's no way LaBarbera can see it.

12. Dec. 31 vs. the St. Louis Blues

Can we call this one of Sam's surprises? When Shorty calls it a sharp angle shot, it might be the last great understatement of 2009. Note here the difference between Samuelsson, who shoots from there, and Raymond, who would have dragged it across the crease. This one also shows off Samuelsson's strength, as he pushes Barret Jackman off the puck smartly to free it up for him.

13. Jan. 5 vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets

Another weird one, as he enters the zone without the puck, seemingly puts himself offside, then fortuitously gets the puck back and just shoots it right away. The shot itself is a laser, but the circumstances surrounding the goal are bizarre. Part of me thinks the goal counts because not even the referees were ready for him to shoot that puck. That's what Sammy does. Have puck? Check. Shoot puck? Yes.

14. Jan. 7 vs. the Phoenix Coyotes

A great forecheck by Kesler as the period is winding down leads to this play in front, as Samuelsson again scores from a pretty sharp angle. Normally, I'd get down on a player who shoots this much, and I know they called him the Logo Hunter in Detroit, but he must have improved his accuracy or something, because this many goals on quick wrist shots and bad angles can't be a fluke.

15. Jan. 9 vs. the Calgary Flames

Again we see Samuelsson benefiting from some hard work on the forecheck by the second line. Mason Raymond gets the turnover, tries to wrap it around, and it squeaks out to Samuelsson, who buries it.

16. Jan. 16 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins

Much like the last goal, this one comes off some unified forechecking, as Kesler creates the turnover, then Raymond exacerbates it, and the Canucks get it back. The shot from the point is bouncing, but Samuelsson still gets a stick on it for a redirect, and it jumps over Curry. Sidenote: who the Hell is Curry?

17. Jan. 23 vs. the Chicago Blackhawks

All alone in front, Samuelsson opens the scoring in a game I fondly remember, apart from that part when Andrew Ladd tagged Kesler below the eye. I hate Ladd. Anyway, speaking of Kesler, he makes this play happen, fighting off three Blackhawks to get his first shot off, then outhustling them to get to puck a second time and tip it out to Samuelsson. I'm a big fan of Kesler's brand of playmaking. He's not the best passer in the world, but he creates scoring chances by hustling, checking, and going desperately for loose pucks. When you're skating with opportunists like Raymond and Samuelsson, that can only bode well for you. I'd love to see him with a playmaker this season, though, to add a new dynamic.

18. Jan. 25 vs. the Buffalo Sabres

Another goal I fondly remember, this one came as a shock to everybody, because Samuelsson enters the zone with the puck on his stick and doesn't shoot it. Everybody thinks he's gonna, even Henrik Tallinder, but instead, Sammy makes a couple of jukes, then drags it to the backhand and slides it home. Way to switch it up. Notice as well the presence of the Green Men, who were an absolute blast last year, as long as we were winning. I think Vancouver collectively soured on them during the Blackhawks series, but is that really their fault? Was it ubiquity that wore that joke down or the citywide bad mood that sapped the joy from every joyful thing? Guess we'll find out this season if Force and Sully return for a second season of pressing their groins against the penalty box glass.

19. Feb. 2 vs. the Montreal Canadiens

Wherein Samuelsson scores on a one-timer on the power play. It's a 4-on-3 power play, so there's already a lot of room, but you have to imagine the Canadiens D-corps aren't respecting Sammy's slapshot the way they'd respect Sami's slapshot. That's the mistake.

20. Feb. 12 vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets

Here was have another one of Sam's Surprises, as Samuelsson's quick wrist shot is blocked by Derek Brassard, sails high in the air, and lands behind Steve Mason for the goal. It concerns me that the Canucks scored two goals of this sort last season--hopefully we didn't use up all of our flukes in 09-10.

21. Feb. 14 vs. the Minnesota Wild (at 6:41 of clip)

Another Samuelsson shot that surprises everyone. This time, he's sent in alone by Kesler, and I don't mean on a breakaway. I mean he's by himself and there's no rush developing. Still, he just skates in and snaps an unexpected wrist shot, and it goes in. It's old hat for him by now and it's more of a tendency than an anomaly, which is likely why Kesler sprung him like that.

22. Mar. 3 vs. the Detroit Red Wings

The first in a 9-goals-in-6-games streak that pushed Samuelsson to 30 on the season for the first time in his career, improving on his previous career-high by seven. What sort of goal is it? Another of Sam's Surprises, as Samuelsson comes off the boards and shoots it at a strange time and from a strange angle. Nobody is expecting it, much less Chris Osgood, especially with the Sedins on the ice. You've got those two playmakers, both capable of their wizardous sedinerie, and you shoot the puck willy-nilly? Samuelsson, you're an odd duck.

23. Mar. 5 vs. the Chicago Blackhawks (at 7:59 of clip)

Samuelsson's goal here comes by deflecting an Andrew Alberts shot from the point. Yes, Alberts. Why is he shooting from there? Because the Canucks are down 6-2. They would go on to lose 6-3 in one of the suckiest games of the season for a Canucks fan, but it wasn't all bad. My band, Cinnamon Toast Funk, had a really awesome CD release party that night. I remember checking the score just after Skeeter's band, Hooray For Gooba opened for us, and being sorely disappointed that we were already down 5-1 or something stupid like that.

24. Mar. 7 vs. the Nashivlle Predators

Holy cow, are these the only type of goals Samuelsson is going to score anymore? Another Sam's surprise, as he takes a slapshot from a stupid angle and it goes in. Note here that if the hockey gods aren't having a laugh, Dan Hamhuis uses his speed and angling ability to prevent a 2-on-1. It's textbook defending, right up to the point where the heavens open up and Samuelsson is kissed by the hand of fate.

25. Mar. 9 vs. the Colorado Avalanche

I remember this game well. My wife and I were on a vacation in Cannon Beach, and I used Internet powers to pull the game up on her laptop. We were down 3-0. I checked in sporadically, the feed was laggy, and I missed almost everything. But somehow, we won. A large part of that was Mikael Samuelsson's hat trick, which began with this put-back on a Daniel Sedin rebound. Note the guy in the old-school Vancouver Millionaires jersey in the audience. He's so cool, I wish he was my dad.

26. Mar. 9 vs. the Colorado Avalanche

Samuelsson's second goal of the evening is also on a rebound. So many of his goals last season were. Frankly, they were either rebounds or Sam's surprises; those are the ways he scores.

27. Mar. 9 vs. the Colorado Avalanche

Samuelsson's hat trick goal is about the laziest tap-in I've ever seen. Look at him. He looks like he's putting. He looks like a less racist Fuzzy Zoeller, he does. I'm also amused by his body language here. I recognize he's watching the puck intently to see if he needs to take another whack at it, but he kind of looks like a boy poking a dead bird with a stick.

28. Mar. 10 vs. the Phoenix Coyotes

Samuelsson's 28th goal of the season comes on a forced turnover by Henrik, who pokes the puck away from Ed Jovanovski. Samuelsson gets it at the side of the net and jams it in.

29. Mar. 13 vs. the Ottawa Senators

The 29th goal of the season comes on the power play, as Samuelsson takes a nice pass from the point, courtesy of Pavol Demitra (who would go on to prove in the playoffs that he should never, ever, ever be back there) and fires that patented wrist shot of his.

30. Mar. 13 vs. the Ottawa Senators

Samuelsson gets his 30th of the season on his first breakaway goal. Backhand is where Samuelsson goes when deking, so we shouldn't be surprised that's what he does with it this time. It's a nice goal to reach that career landmark and a fitting end to this list. I like Samuelsson. I'm concerned that last season was a career year for him; he'll likely need another one just as good for the Canucks to improve on the 09-10 campaign. Here's hoping he can match his totals. Part of me doubts it, as I'm skeptical he'll get so many fortunate bounces, but this last clip demonstrates that he's got a wicked shot, luck or no luck. If he plays with the Sedins, and he should to start the season, given the Burrows injury, he'll get ample opportunities to use it.

Every Goal Ryan Kesler Scored Last Season

It's been a slow weekend for me. This isn't to say it's been devoid of activity, mind you; my band played a show tonight and I watched some excellent sporting events on television today (CFL football, tennis). But, despite doing things I enjoy, because there's a Canuck(ish) game on Sunday afternoon, time appears to be moving slower than it ever has, ever. To help pass it (to Bulis!), I've begun the Every Goal series, which uses Youtube (mainly CanucksHD's incredible channel) to compile a handy walkthrough of every goal a certain Canuck scored last season. This series began yesterday with Mason Raymond's 25 goals, and continues with Ryan Kesler's. Coming soon: Mikael Samuelsson.

Watching these goals all in a row is sort of awesome. You can see patterns and tendencies you might have otherwise missed. For instance: most people know Kesler is money from the half wall, but you might not know how prolific a power play producer he actually is. In watching these clips, I discovered that not only were half of his goals last season were scored on the power play, but for much of the season, he was scoring 2/3 of his goals with the man advantage. See for yourself.


1. Oct. 7 vs. the Montreal Canadiens
Kesler's first goal of the season comes on a breakaway. Alex Edler finds him breaking into the offensive zone between the Montreal defenders. He fights off a hook, make a couple of dekes, and slides the puck home forehand. His speed is really on display here, as the play happens in seconds flat.

2. Oct. 11 vs. the Dallas Stars
Get ready to see this exact same play a few times. On the powerplay, Kesler comes off the wall just above the faceoff circle with the puck on his forehand, and wrists it past Turco. This is his go-to move on the powerplay, and it's what made that second unit really dangerous. Not since Naslund have we had a player who was such a threat to score from there.

3. Oct. 17 vs. the Minnesota Wild
This is a funny one, as Kesler calls for the puck at the side of the net, on his forehand, then swivels around and banks it in, effectively from behind the net. Why so strange? He called for it. Why he thought he could score from there is beyond me, but he did. I guess that's why he's Ryan Kesler and I'm a guy planning to spend an hour on Youtube writing an article about him.

4. Oct. 14 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs
It didn't take long to see this play again, did it? I told you so. This time, Kesler comes down from the point with speed, but it's the same basic shot. What's exciting is that you can see here Kesler's confidence with this play. As soon as he gets the puck he knows where he's going, because he knows he's money from there.

5. Nov. 1 vs. the Colorado Avalanche (at 1:06 of clip)
Nobody goes after rebounds with more determination than Ryan Kesler, and here he gets just enough of a loose puck that gets behind everybody, including Craig Anderson.

6. Dec. 8 vs. the Nashville Predators
Here, Kesler is the beneficiary of some superb Sedin passing on a 5-on-3. All he has to do is tap the puck in and receive a Shea Weber high-stick to the face. He does both to perfection. It's a shame that he's in so much pain when he scores, by the way, otherwise he might be happier to have scored his first goal in over a month. The Sedins are good for helping people who haven't scored in awhile. I refer here to Wade Brookbank, who once had a multi-goal night as a result of wizardous Sedinerie. Note: I just invented a new tag. Skeeter, Qris, use it often. Hopefully more often than necroequinicide.

7. Dec. 12 vs. the Minnesota Wild
This is a powerplay goal and you'll never guess how Kesler scores it. If you said just off the right boards, above the faceoff dot with a wrist shot, you guessed correctly. That's three of his first seven goals on the season scored the exact same way.

8. Dec. 14 vs. the Los Angeles Kings
Kesler scores on a rebound after some pressure in the offensive zone. The interesting thing about this one? Pay close attention to the nice job Shane O'Brien does shielding the puck and making the back pass that sets up the goal. Kesler is Johnny Canuck on the spot and he makes the most of the big rebound he's given.

9. Dec. 18 vs. the Washington Capitals
Here's a funny one. Kesler gets in on a breakaway after the puck takes its first funny bounce and skips over the defender's stick. In alone, he gets hauled down, and when Schultz tries to kick the puck to his stick and take control of it, he kicks it in instead.

10. Dec. 26 vs. the Edmonton Oilers
The first power play goal Kesler scored last season without wristing it. Here he makes a beautiful tip on an absolutely perfect Alex Edler point shot. To those of you who think the Canucks don't have a power play quarterback: Edler can do it. Between the Raymond highlights and these ones, you can see that he's a major reason the Canucks had power play success last season.

11. Jan. 2 vs. the Dallas Stars
Mason Raymond brings the puck in, then puts a perfect pass to Kesler, who has somehow gotten to a prime shooting spot, almost in the direct center of the offensive zone. He receives the pass and shoots it in about a millisecond, and it goes off the post and in. Part of me wonders if Raymond's choice to pass the puck instead of going around the boards with it is what catches everyone off guard here. Either way, it's a beautiful shot. It's worth noting that the line of Kesler, Raymond and Samuelsson (next in this series) are all talented snipers, and these highlights underline that.

12. Jan. 13 vs. the Minnesota Wild
Another power play goal, this time on a rebound from a Mason Raymond slap shot. Kesler is good at finding the puck in scrambles and it's worth noting that, between this goal and the last one, you can see his hands are quick. It's a far cry from the Kesler of his early career who the fans criticized for having hands of stone. Last year's Kesler had lightning fast hands.

13. Jan. 16 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins
Yet another power play goal on a tip-in, this time on a Mason Raymond wrist shot. I think it's safe to say that Kesler and Raymond's excellent seasons were a direct result of being on the ice together. I know Vigneault likes to work with pairs that have chemistry, and we can rest assured that the pair our second line is built around is these two guys. Just a thought: I really hope Jordan Schroeder gets a chance to skate with them at some point; a playmaking speedster might add an incredible dynamic, especially since Samuelsson is also a shooter.

14. Feb. 2 vs. the Montreal Canadiens
Kesler's power play goals tend to come in two forms: either he comes off the wall and snipes it, or he scores a garbage goal right around the net. People often forget that Kesler's actually fairly big and he makes a good net presence. Here he holds his ground, and uses those quick hands of his to bat a loose puck out of mid-air.

15. Feb. 9 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning
Wouldn't you know it, it's a power play goal. Kesler from off the right wall with that wrist shot. By now, teams have to be scouting for it, but it happens so fast I don't know that there's any real way to prevent it.

16. Feb. 11 vs. the Florida Panthers
Another day, another power play goal. If you're wondering, 10 of Ryan Kesler's first 16 goals were on the power play. This one's off a rebound when a Mikael Samuelsson shot gets through, and Vokoun kicks it right to Kesler. Kesler does a great job of corralling it with his own skate, then roofing it.

17. Mar. 3 vs. the Detroit Red Wings
Finally, a different sort of goal! This might be Kesler's best effort of the season to date, as he charges in with three Red Wings within a foot of him, shows off his incredible speed and some smart stickwork and puts it past Howard before anybody can stop him. This Kesler, the one who goes to the net hard, with speed and with power, is the one I think nobody wants to deal with. He's so strong and so fast that goals likes this could start coming with regularity next season.

18. Mar. 3 vs. the Detroit Red Wings
And we're back to the powerplay. For those keeping score, that's 12 of 18, or 2 of every 3. That's incredible. This one is a tip-in off of a Daniel Sedin shot that's quite obviously a pass. This is why the Canucks are good. Kesler and Raymond, for instance, are capable of creating their own scoring chances, but occasionally, all they have to do is follow-through with a brilliant pass from a Sedin. It's like having somebody chew you food for you, except not disgusting.

19. Mar. 5. vs. the Chicago Blackhawks
A Kesler wrist shot from above the dot, but don't be fooled: it's an even-strength goal. This is one that Cristobal Huet should have had, but that's why he's been buried in Switzerland this season. If I were going to cut him some slack, I'd say he was screened, but I don't feel like cutting him any slack (he sucks), so consider it unmentioned.

20. Mar. 14 vs. the Calgary Flames
This one is all Alex Burrows. For people still uncertain of whether or not Burrows is the offensive talent he appears to be, pay special attention to this play, as well as his passing in general. He isn't always the finisher on pretty Sedin passing plays; sometimes he starts them. He makes nifty little back passes too, like this one. Kesler deserves credit for the wicked one-timer.

21. Mar. 18 vs. the San Jose Sharks
We return to the power play for this one, as Kesler fires a wrist shot past Nabokov to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead. This seems familiar. I think I was at this game. In any case, this wrist shot comes from a little further in than normal, but it's the exact same goal he scored a handful of times last season.

22. Mar. 24 vs. the Anaheim Ducks
Kesler's first empty-netter of the season. He shoots the puck at the net and there is no goalie, so it goes in. Pretty basic. Nothing to see here.

23. Apr. 1 vs. the Los Angeles Kings
This one is Kesler at his best, as he controls the puck well, uses a little drag move to get some separation from Jarrett Stoll, then wrists a perfect shot past Quick to cut the lead to 5-2. I remember watching this game and not caring, because the Canucks were getting creamed.

24. Apr. 4 vs. the Minnesota Wild
Goal number twenty-four comes on the end of some great work by Alex Burrows, who makes Martin Havlat look absolutely stupid and skates right past him while shorthanded. The play instantly becomes a 2-on-1, and after Burrows draws the other defender and feeds the puck to Kesler, there's nobody left to beat. This is Kesler's first shorthanded goal of the season. I'm genuinely shocked by this; I could have sworn he had more.

25. Apr. 10 vs. the Calgary Flames
An even-strength tap-in for Kesler after a perfect cross-ice pass from Mason Raymond. This is one of the reasons I'm especially optimistic for Raymond's next season. He can pass the puck, and he showed it on more than one occasion last season. My thinking is that, even if his goal totals don't increase, his assist totals will as he begins to see passing lines like this one more often. At least that's my eternal optimist speaking, but he just watched twenty-five Ryan Kesler goals in a row, so he's a little biased.

Edit: I originally had the same link for the Mar. 14 goal and the Apr. 10 goal and I didn't realize they were the same goal. In fact, I thought Raymond and Kesler scored identical goals a month apart. I marveled at it, and mocked the Flames defense for allowing the exact same goal twice. It was 2 am. I have since fixed this mistake thanks to a tip from an anonymous commenter, but I wanted everyone to know I am a prize fool.

Every Goal Mason Raymond Scored Last Season

Ryan Kesler is a pretty big fan of Mason Raymond. You should be too.

With Canucks-type hockey-matches coming up this weekend, I am absolutely pumped for this season. One reason? Mason Raymond. I was on the bubble about him a couple years ago, but I absolutely fell in love with his play last year. I get the feeling that Canucks fans are skeptical that he'll repeat that performance, but now I've swung the other way, and I think he will. Why? Raymond scored 25 goals last season, and only two of them were flukes. Most were the result of some pretty high-end offensive skills, and a nose for the open areas. Don't believe me? Here is every goal Mason Raymond scored last season. All twenty-five, in order. See for yourself; he's good.


1. Oct. 7 vs. the Montreal Canadiens
Raymond chips the puck past defenseman Yannick Weber to create a 2-on-1. He breaks in with speed, fights off the check of Maxim Lapierre, and goes backhand on Carey Price.

2. Oct. 24 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs
On a mad scramble in the crease, Mason Raymond notches a powerplay goal when Joey MacDonald can't corral a Christian Ehrhoff shot. Michael Grabner is also there causing confusion, but it's Raymond's goal.

3. Oct. 24 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs
In the same game, Raynmond scores the empty-netter that ices it after the Canucks hit about fifty posts trying to do the same thing. Some empty-netters are easy. Not this one. If Raymond isn't one of the fastest skaters in the league, he's not be the first one to the loose puck after Alex Burrows hits a post from the blue line.

4. Oct. 30 vs. the Anaheim Ducks
Raymond gets in behind the Ducks defense and outwaits Jonas Hiller with a move he's quite fond of. You know the one: he drags the puck across the crease, gets the goalie to stretch out, and then roofs it.

5. Nov. 1 vs. the Colorado Avalanche (at 0:05 of clip)
Raymond does a great job of forechecking on this one and is one the principle reasons the Avalanche can't get it out of the zone. It slides to Alex Edler at the blue line, who just throws it at the net. Raymond is there, however, to tip it past Craig Anderson for his fifth of the season.

6. Nov. 5 vs. the Minnesota Wild
Another Canucks powerplay goal, this one is on a wicked wrist shot after a tape-to-tape cross-ice pass from Alex Edler at the blueline. Edler's passing ability is severely underrated. So is Raymond's wrist shot. It shouldn't be. This won't be the last time this season he makes a perfect shot, and I have personally witnessed Raymond win the accuracy competiton at Canucks Super Skills. He can wire it.

7. Nov. 6 vs. the Dallas Stars
Raymond is the lucky benefactor of Kevin Bieksa simply throwing the puck at the net. Why he's so deep is beyond me, but if there's one thing Kevin Bieksa does well, it's create offense by being way out of position. When it's good, it's so, so good. Raymond is Johnny on the spot here, as Turco gives up a fat rebound from a bad angle and he buries it.

8. Nov. 12 vs. the Detroit Red Wings (at 1:58 of clip)
It's incredible that this isn't Raymond's luckiest goal of the season. He tries to park himself in front during a power play, but gets so thoroughly outmuscled by Brad Stuart that he winds up off-balance, about six feet from the boards. Bieksa shoots the puck, and it caroms off the only Raymond skate on the ice to beat Howard.

9. Nov. 28 vs. the Edmonton Oilers
A power play goal, but it hardly matters. Raymond wires a wrist shot from the dot that beats Deslauriers high glove side.

10. Dec. 10 vs. the Atlanta Thrashers
Off a drop pass from Kevin Bieksa, Mikael Samuelsson makes a beautiful pass to Raymond, who is heading to the net. He tips it past Pavelec, who is busy trying to dealing with a Ryan Kesler screen in front. One thing I'm noticing in these clips? Kevin Bieksa is everywhere. Not that it's always a good thing, but it creates offense.

11. Dec. 12 vs. the Minnesota Wild
Guess who starts this play? Kevin Bieksa. He makes a nice dangle to keep it away from his checker, then gives it off to Henrik, who skates behind the net and makes a crazy backpass to Raymond. All Raymond has to do is tap it in. He does.

12. Dec. 14 vs. the Los Angeles Kings
Again we are reminded of Raymond's speed. Consider that this is a 2-on-2 when the Canucks enter the zone. By the time Kesler brings the play in onside, however, Raymond is already behind both defensemen. His patented backhand deke seals the deal.

13. Dec. 18 vs. the Washington Capitals
I notice here that Raymond tends to score on 2-on-1 situations when he keeps the puck. Here, he breaks away with Henrik Sedin, who shows an impressive burst of speed, and makes a sick deke to tie the game at two.

14. Dec. 18 vs. the Washington Capitals
I don't remember this game, particularly, but everyone sounds really pumped, so this must have been a huge goal. Raymond picks up a rebound and does that thing he does where he brings it across the crease and goes roof over a goaltender that's down. I'd include it in any scouting report on the guy, but it wouldn't do a whole lot of good. By the time you realize he's doing it, you're on your stomach facing the end boards, so whatever. Keep 'em coming, MayRay.

15. Dec. 27 vs. the Calgary Flames
The night of Raymond's first career hat trick, he starts the scoring off by stretching out to receive and redirect a Mikael Samuelsson pass with one hand on the stick. It's pretty cool.

16. Dec. 27 vs. the Calgary Flames
Raymond's luckiest goal of the season. At center ice, he digs the puck out of a pile of guys and just kind of flips it into the air. It lands in the net. Kiprusoff and Sutter's heads basically explode.

17. Dec. 27 vs. the Calgary Flames
Raymond gets the hat trick on another sick cross-ice pass from Alex Edler. He one-times it home, which is the first time we've seen that, although McElhinney is so far out of position that a Kyle Wellwood slapshot could have beaten him (if Welly bore down). I should again take the time to point out that Edler's passing ability is incredible and doesn't get nearly enough press. Upon scoring the goal, Ryan Kesler takes him down out of joy.

18. Jan. 21 vs. the Dallas Stars
Another goal scored by Raymond's speed, and don't be fooled just because the Stars defenseman stays with him. First, consider that this is a 2-on-1, but by the time Mikael Samuelsson realizes it, Raymond has beaten his man. His backhand is a thing of beauty, and evidence that Raymond can shoot the puck any which way with success. Consider that his backhand goes stick side, right across Auld's body. That is precise.

19. Jan. 27 vs. the St. Louis Blues
The first of two goals Raymond scored that night, this one is the direct result of a David Perron giveaway. Kesler receives the puck as though it was meant for him, and he sends it to Raymond, who does another of his slight redirects to beat Mason. Perron is choked, so he starts some stuff after the goal.

20. Jan. 27 vs. the St. Louis Blues
I want to say this one is all Raymond, but extra credit here goes to Christian Ehrhoff, who turns the rush into a 4-on-2 and gives Raymond a lot of space to work with. Raymond freezes his defenseman and the goaltender by attempting a slap shot (hint: he won't do that) then wires the go-ahead goal.

21. Feb. 6 vs. the Boston Bruins
The thing to notice here is how loudly Raymond is calling for the puck. Another trend in this clips is the bond that Kesler and Raymond have begun to develop, and by this time, they're old pros at communicating. Once Kesler gets him the puck, Raymond plays the waiting game as usual, gets Rask to go down, and beats him up high.

22. Feb. 14 vs. the Minnesota Wild (at 4:51 of clip)
Wherein Raymond picks up a huge rebound off of a Christian Ehrhoff shot and wrists it home. What's interesting here is just how huge this rebound is. It's really huge.

23. Mar. 23 vs. the Edmonton Oilers
Here, Raymond is the beneficiary of Kesler's hard work and a beautiful pass, this time by Michael Grabner. For people concerned about Raymond's excellent season being a fluke, consider that he consistently gets to open areas and goes to the net, ready to receive the puck. The passers on the Canucks are top-notch, and Raymond showed last season that he's got the goods to be a top-notch finisher. This clip is more evidence.

24. Mar. 30 vs. the Phoenix Coyotes
Speaking of top-notch finishing, here we see Raymond's wrist shot in all its glory, as he picks up the puck at the dot, going away from the net, then swivels and makes the perfect shot: off Matthew Lombardi and in, just like they teach you in peewee.

25. Apr. 6 vs. the Colorado Avalanche
Raymond's last goal of the season is nothing new for the speedster. Let's break it down. First, he creates a 2-on-1 with his speed. Some might say the 2-on-1 was created when Kyle Cumiskey fell down, but I hypothesize that Cumiskey fell down because he realized how fast he was going to have to skate to keep up with the play and his body threw in the towel. Second, Raymond keeps the puck. This is typical MayRay. His only major criticism last year was from Mikael Samuelsson, who said he needed to use his linemates more. Consider that, even if only Raymond's passing improves, he will become a much, much better player and his line will be more consistently dangerous. Third, he lasers a wrist shot. Yeah, he'll do that. I can't wait to watch him do this often next season.

Daniel Sedin is Out For Blood

With Canucks training camp just around the corner, much of the talk going forward will be the question of which Canuck is going to resurrect his career this season. Jeff Tambellini? Joel Perrault? Raffi Torres? Kevin Bieksa? One could make a case for each of these, and that's good. Mike Gillis is hoping the desperation of these talented near-washouts is going to augment competition, and hopefully propel one or more of these once highly-touted players to great heights. But, if there's one player who's really seen his stock fall, one player who I think has the sack (so not Salo) to return to the glory of his youth, it's Daniel Sedin. Quit your tittering; I'm deadly serious. Daniel Sedin will be out for blood this season.

Until last season, Daniel was arguably the better Sedin. Sure, he and his brother's point totals were effectively interchangeable, but he tallied more goals than Henrik in 8 of their 9 NHL seasons together. And, since "he doesn't shoot the puck enough" is a much more common critique of a player than "he doesn't pass the puck even though he's three feet from the goal-mouth enough", Daniel has typically coasted on a stream of goodwill while Henrik gets a tongue-lashing for his unselfishness. Yes, the points were about the same, but, you know, goals.

That all changed this season, when Daniel went down with an injury and Henrik wound up scoring the same amount of goals as his brother, so basically, Daniel was no longer contributing anything and Henrik was carrying him. Not that famously unselfish Henrik would have minded carrying his brother, but the league took notice that one Sedin was great and the other sucked so hard. I mean, check out Henrik's amazing pass and Daniel's lousy tap-in on this play. Henrik went on to win the Hart trophy. The media lobbied for him to be given the captaincy. Henrik became beloved. Meanwhile, even though Daniel Sedin's point per game totals were higher, he was buried--basically forgotten. Recently, the Hockey News named Henrik Sedin the 6th best player in the NHL. Daniel? Basically spat on with an 11th place ranking, as though saying, "You're nothing, Daniel!"

Yesterday on the Team 1040, Dave Pratt asked Daniel how he and his brother can possibly follow up the remarkable season they had last year. Daniel responded by reminding Pratt that, hey, we haven't won anything yet. Then he paused. "Well, I haven't." He said, with his typically dry humour. But wait: was it dry humour or was it the flaming sword of spite? We can't know for sure, so it's likely the more incendiary one. As an unofficial member of the Vancouver media, I think we should roll with it.

So you heard it here first. Daniel Sedin hates his brother (E4). And why wouldn't he? They're twins with nearly identical career totals, but suddenly, Henrik is the superstar? It's bogus. Henrik is the one getting trophies and wicked photoshops. Henrik is the one who was shown respect with an "A" last season, and has been talked about for the "C" this season. And if he gets it, what will Daniel get? Likely, a pitiful "A". How disrespectful.

Henrik is the one called Henrik. Daniel? They call him "Brother Daniel", like a second-rate citizen, or a monk (society's self-made second-rate citizen). He's more than just Henrik's brother, you know; Henrik is also his brother. So there.

Even when Henrik gets insulted, it's actually directed at Daniel. "Your brother is ugly," says Adam Burish. Sure, Henrik can get upset about what's implied, because he has a similar look, but what about was said? Who's standing up for Daniel? Not Darcy Hordichuk, because he's not in the lineup that day. Why not? Because nobody thinks about Daniel Sedin. It's time for Daniel to think about himself. Stop helping your brother by scoring goals. Score goals to spite him.

I personally guarantee you that Daniel Sedin is going to be downright motivated this season. It's time he put his brother back in his place. Mark my words: Daniel Sedin is out for blood.

Note: I added this picture because it's incredible.