Something felt right about the Vancouver Canucks loss in the Stanley Cup finals. It’s hard to explain exactly why, but here goes.
In spite of their enormous talent and 11 seasons in the league, there is an eerie calm about the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, that border’s on smugness. It’s a nonchalant demeanor that lacks passion. They just didn’t seem to care if they won or lost, but how they played the game. And there’s the rub.
The way the Sedins play the game has rubbed off on the entire team. Much of it is wonderful; perfect tic-tac-toe passes, finding the open man, using angles, and criss-crossing through centre ice and across the opposing blue line. They are experts at lifting opponents’ sticks, stealing pucks, turning on a dime and creating odd-man rushes. The Canucks resemble a Swedish Elite league side or the Soviet Red Army squads of the 70’s and 80’s – always skating, circling, using forward motion efficiently and preferring offensive-minding defensemen.
However, much of the Canucks style lacks mettle, strength of character. Following their dopplegangers, uh, leaders.
The Sedins are like robots – methodical, logical, a necessity in today’s world. Championship hockey, on the other hand, demands grit, adjustment, going deep within. Just as sophisticated company data systems are hacked by cyber rogues, tough-as-nails men, ranging in age from 19 to 43, bashed to bits the Canucks intricate, but delicate set-piece system.
In the aftermath of the lopsided drubbing in the final game, the Sedins calmly provided frank admissions of their failures. But couldn’t explain why (did the pandering sports bingo callers even asked that question?) It was all so clean, clinical and hollow.
Over the course of the playoffs Canucks players bit, faked and embellished and their General Manager whined about unfair officiating. That alone was enough to turn off most hockey traditionalists. But for me the hallmark of the series arrived near the end of Game 6 when, at the end of a play, small, rookie forward Brad Marchand of Boston landed half a dozen punches to the head of a Sedin (doesn’t matter which). The passive twin absorbed each blow with a head-turn, as if trying to draw a penalty. Afterwards, when asked why he did it, the brash rookie said, “Because I felt like it.” He should have added, "because that spineless excuse for a man refused to even shove me back". Tactics like that might work in Sweden, or in the old Soviet Union, but NOT in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Follow the leader(s)? I’m not so sure, Vancouver fans.
