Do Daniel and Henrik need their names etched on the Stanley Cup to be considered great players?
Are we -- members of the media and ardent hockey fans alike -- too hard on the Sedins?
While it is true the measure of the individual hockey player is generally judged by team championships, there have been countless stars that were unable to lift their clubs to a title despite doing everything in their power.
But at the end of the day, was Marcel Dionne any less a superstar because he did not hoist the Stanley Cup? His brother, Gilbert, was a fringe player who had the good fortune to play on the 1993 Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. Which Dionne would you rather have playing for your team?
The Sedins bring it every night and yet following a 1-0 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of this year's Stanley Cup final Wednesday, one of the hot topics of conversation is how the shutdown pair of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg neutralized the Vancouver Canucks' twin scoring threats.
True enough, Chara and Seidenberg had a game to be proud of, but the Sedins hardly mailed it in. Daniel played 23:01 and had eight shots on goal. Henrik played 22:22 and was responsible for setting his brother up for countless scoring opportunities. Currently Henrik, the NHL's reigning Hart Trophy winner as most valuable player in the league, leads all playoff scorers with two goals and 21 points in 19 games. Not too shabby. Daniel, a finalist for the Hart Trophy this season, ranks ninth in scoring with eight goals and 16 points.
There have indeed been times in this year's playoffs when the Sedins were not as productive as they have been in the past. They certainly had their share of troubles against the Chicago Blackhawks' shutdown pair of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook in the opening round and again in the second round against Nashville's Shea Weber and Ryan Suter.
In fact, both Daniel and Henrik have been held pointless in exactly half of their post-season games this year, but it doesn't mean they failed to contribute in the games they were held off the board. The opposition can never afford to take their eyes off the twins and when they are being thoroughly covered, it means other players should be open.
As individuals, the Sedins don't come close to being as dynamic as the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin or Pavel Datsyuk, but as a duo, there isn't another pair of linemates in the league who can read the mind of their partners like the Ornskoldsvik, Sweden natives. It is absolutely uncanny how they are able to predict what one another is going to do on the ice. I guess that comes from playing together virtually every shift of their entire careers.
We will all continue to analyze their performances on a game-to-game basis because that's what fans and media do. In terms of points, the Sedins don't deliver every game, but have you ever questioned their effort? While there's no question their reputation will be greatly enhanced if the Canucks are successful in beating the Bruins in the final, for my money these two guys are among the best who have ever skated in the NHL.
Tyler's time
Isn't it high time for the Bruins to insert Tyler Seguin onto the first unit of their power play?
After going 0-for-6 in Game 1 of the final which left them operating at a sorry 7.5 per cent success rate in the playoffs, the Bruins may as well roll the dice on a kid they drafted second overall last June to be a scorer.
What have they got to lose?
Seguin was a scoring ace in junior with Plymouth of the Ontario Hockey League. Last season he scored 48 goals and 106 points in 63 games. Of those 48 goals, 13 came with his team holding the man advantage. He also had 30 power play assists.
It is true that Seguin didn't make a sudden impact with the Bruins this season. He didn't come close to having the success other teenage freshmen such as Carolina's Jeff Skinner and Edmonton's Taylor Hall enjoyed, but there have been glimpses of potential greatness.
Seguin was all the rage when he popped a goal and an assist in his first-ever playoff game May 14 against Tampa Bay and then when he exploded for two goals and four points the next game.
The Bruins' power play, such as it is now, kind of sucks. Seguin might not be the answer, but we'll never know unless he's given a chance. It's time to make him the central focus of the power play and see where it goes from there.
