Sedin brothers continue to exhibit poise, class for Canucks

CHICAGO --Henrik Sedin was there for the rebound and goal off Daniel Sedin's shot for the Vancouver Canucks in their 5-2 win at the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. One brother assisting the other, as they have so often in their careers.
"I think this is their team, this is who they enjoy playing against," Canucks center Bo Horvat said of facing the Blackhawks, whom Vancouver defeated twice in five Western Conference series. "They've had some great battles against each other in the playoffs and they showed it again tonight."

Daniel Sedin's assist and Henrik Sedin's goal and assist didn't erase what has been a frustrating season for the Canucks. As Daniel Sedin said, "It's been up and down, both for the team and individually too." But it was a reminder the 37-year-old twins still can make an impact.
\[RELATED: Canucks defeat Blackhawks\]
Vancouver (26-39-9) was eliminated from playoff contention March 14. Henrik Sedin has 45 points (three goals, 42 assists), the fewest he has scored in a full season since 2003-04 (42). His goal and assist Thursday were his first points in his past nine games. Daniel Sedin has been steadier with 49 points (21 goals, 28 assists), four more than last season. Henrik is playing 15:22 minutes per game and Daniel is playing 15:04. Each played more than 18 minutes a game last season.
"It's never fun losing. It's been tough," Henrik said. "We were good for a few months but ran into injuries that were tough for us. We weren't able to keep the level up where we wanted it to be. If you drop 5, 10 percent in this league you're going to lose games, and that's what happened."
The Sedins still command respect and attention around the NHL.
"They re-created the game a little bit where it stopped going from one-on-one to much more of a give-and-go game, and they're probably the pioneers behind that," Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane said. "They're fun to watch, not so fun to play against. They were at the forefront of that big rivalry we used to have with the Canucks."

Each brother is in the final season of a four-year contract. Blackhawks left wing Patrick Sharp asked Henrik for a signed stick on Thursday, "just in case."
"They're just great professionals. They've had great careers," Sharp said. "Sometimes when you play against two guys like that for years and you beat up on each other and there's that dislike for each other, there's also that respect underneath as well."
Horvat has seen the twins answer a lot of questions about their future and admires the way they've dealt with them.
"They've handled it like they've handled everything in their career, with the utmost class," Horvat said. "They're true pros. If I want to model my game and myself on and off the ice, I want to be like those two."
Will the Sedins return for another season? Is this it? They said the future is on their minds, but they'll decide when they feel the time is right.
"Throughout the year you think about it," Daniel said. "You talk to family, a lot of different people. We did a good job of staying focused and concentrating on the hockey. You think about it throughout the year, but we'll make that decision when it's clear."
What is clear is how much the Sedins love Vancouver, and how they can't imagine playing anywhere else.

"It's a beautiful city. It rains a lot in the wintertime, but last week it was sunny and all of a sudden you forget the rainy days," Daniel said with a laugh. "It's grown to be our favorite city. I think right away when we got there, we realized the families, everyone caring for hockey, but it's also the people. Outside of hockey, there was great respect. It's an unbelievable city and the people are amazing."
Henrik said, "People are going to think different things about our decision, but that's how we feel."
Whatever the Sweden-born Sedins decide to do, they've already accomplished plenty. Each has more than 1,000 points in the NHL; Henrik has 1,065 (240 goals, 825 assists) in 1,322 games, and Daniel has 1,035 (391 goals, 644 assists) in 1,298 games. They're great ambassadors for the game. Even during a difficult season full of questions about their future, they have kept their focus on the present.
"I think when you get to this age you try to enjoy every game and every day as much as you can," Henrik said. "And I think we've done a good job of that. It's never fun losing, but when you come to the rink, you have to try and enjoy it as much as you can."