Despite poor offensive numbers the Sedins continue to battle.
BOSTON — It has been a pointless Stanley Cup final for Henrik Sedin, the first time he has gone five games without a point — playoffs or regular season — since the final five nights of the 2006-07 season.
Daniel has but two points against the Boston Bruins, a goal and an assist accrued in Game 2.
Together, they have been called Thelma and Louise by that great observer of talent, Mike Milbury, plus various and sundry childish names by the Boston media.
It was enough, even, to make Henrik rear back and fire away. And any Vancouver Canucks fan knows that takes some doing.
"My son told me a man was making fun of me and Uncle Danny on TV," Henrik said over the weekend. "I said ‘That can't be true, because that’s what usually happens in kindergarten. Sometimes grown-ups have low self-esteem and get on guys and say stupid stuff.’
"I think he has to be happy with his career," Henrik said of Milbury. "He did a great job on Long Island. I'm sure he is happy with that."
Daniel, the true sniper among the twins, went passive aggressive on Milbury:
"Usually, the guys who sit in those situations, they're called experts," Daniel said.
It was the rare show of force by the Sedins, the cerebral brothers who have been knocked down and abused by the Bruins through five games of this series, and bravely come right back to be knocked down and abused again.
Despite what personnel gurus like Milbury might say, the twins possess plenty of courage. What they don’t possess is the ability to push back physically, so they exact their revenge on the scoreboard.
Since that’s not happening, and considering linemate Alex Burrows has said they communicate like dolphins with each other, where do they to go to tune up their game?
The Boston Aquarium?
"We work it out with Alex and whoever is on the point," Henrik said Sunday afternoon. "We’re still confident. You lose confidence when you’re cheating or doing things wrong."
Alain Vigneault, coach of two of the game’s lowest maintenance superstars, wouldn’t know where to find the match to light a fire under the Sedins. He’s never had to look before.
"When you’re dealing with those two players in particular, they’re so demanding on themselves that they don't really need anyone to point certain things about their game out to them," he said. "That being said, I do think that they’re playing much better than their point total indicates.
"You’ve got to give credit where credit is due," Vigneault said. "Their goaltender has made some great saves on them, and their defencemen have done a great job. They have been shutdown now for a few games, but I’m confident the tide should turn here soon."
Add in the fact Ryan Kesler has just one, lonely assist in this final, and you begin to reach historic numbers for futility, for a team that finds itself one win away from a summer with the Stanley Cup.
Outscored 14-6 by the Bruins marks the first time in the Stanley Cup final that the leading team has been outscored by greater than a 2-to-1 margin, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. It’s only ever happened once in any playoff round — a Detroit-Chicago semi-final in 1966.
So the fact this team is one win away, and the Sedins have had very little impact offensively, is more good news than bad news for the Canucks.
"It shows how deep a team we are," said defenceman Kevin Bieksa. "You can’t get to this point being a one-line team, or having 75 per cent of your offence from three guys. You need it spread out.
"We’re playing a team with arguably the best defenceman in the game (Zdeno Chara), and he’s going to do a good job on the twins and Burr. That’s where we need other guys to step up and contribute."
There are players who, having led their team in scoring in the regular season — the Sedins have won the past two Art Ross Trophies as NHL scoring leaders, first Henrik then Daniel — would be visibly shaken at this stage, with these paltry totals.
But not the even keeled Sedins, the Volvos of the hockey set.
They face the media every day win or lose, never flinch when one is called by the other’s name, and Milbury quotes aside, unfailingly give straight, honest responses to the questions.
And they’ll look you in the eye as they do it.
Good men, but so far in this final, bad production.
"We’re battling hard," Henrik said in closing. "They are a good team. We know we aren’t going to get the chances maybe we get usually — that’s the way it is. We have to bear down and get chances, and find a way to beat Tim Thomas."
