Friday January 20 - Vancouver Canucks 2 - Florida Panthers 1
Well, that couldn't have gone much better! Henrik Sedin scored in the second to become the first player in Vancouver Canucks history to reach the 1,000-point plateau, and Luca Sbisa picked up the game-winner early in the third period to cement the 2-1 victory for the home team.
Best game in Vancouver in two years? I'd say so. Here are your highlights:
The story set up so nicely, too. Not only was Henrik attempting to make history against his old teammate, Roberto Luongo, don't forget that Luongo was also the last Canucks captain before Henrik took over! Given the rarity of goalies being named team captains, I'm guessing that Henrik will probably be the only player in NHL history to score his 1000th point against his old captain.
True to form, the Canucks surrendered the first goal for the 30th time in 47 games on Friday. That number really is incredible for a team that's pushing for a playoff spot, isn't it?
Legendary Jaromir Jagr delighted his Travelling Jagrs with his 11th of the year on a nice power-play setup from Jared McCann at the 3:45 mark of the second period to put Florida up 1-0 and throw some doubt on whether Canucks fans would get a chance to celebrate in their team's last home game before the All-Star Break.
But just 2:05 passed before Henrik responded—with a goal in his second straight game. And it was a pretty one too—a bit of a role reversal, as he took a sweet feed from brother Daniel.
Canucks fans are protective now of the Sedins and their legacies, but do you remember all the criticism that they took around these parts during their first few years in the league? Considering all the terrible things that the locals used to say about them, it's really no wonder that outsiders still think it's cool to throw shade.
But what an example they set for their teammates, showing just how high you can rise above the haters' expectations. For me, that's a big part of why it's so great to see Henrik as the first player in Canucks history to hit this milestone—with Daniel not all that far behind. He needs 33 more points to hit 1,000 himself—and *could* get there before the end of the season if he gets hot in the second half, though it's a bit of a long shot.
There has been some talk this week about how much impact Henrik's leadership has had on the evolution of Bo Horvat, another player who seems determined to rise above the role that was expected for him when he was drafted.
And is it fair to say that Luca Sbisa is also now re-writing the script of his time as a Canuck? Considering all the criticism that he has taken, I think there's some poetic justice in the fact that Sbisa picked up Friday's game-winning goal—and drew the primary assist on Henrik's 999th point against Nashville on Tuesday.
Moments like this aren't just important as personal milestones, or for the two points in the standings. They're also bonding and team-building moments that can help a team create a sense of belief in itself. The Canucks have been seriously short on this sort of good juju for the last couple of years but have somehow found a way to harness it since coming back from the Christmas break.
It's a lofty comparison, but think about what the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled off when they got on their roll in the second half of last season. Maybe Jayson Megna and Michael Chaput will turn out to be our Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust as the Canucks become a force to be reckoned with for the last 10 weeks of the season.
For now, the Canucks remain one point out of those wild-card spots in the Western Conference, but they're now just a single point behind the Flames, the Predators—and the struggling St. Louis Blues, who are sliding in the Central. Vancouver even has a game in hand on Calgary!
Next up—three games on the road before the All-Star break. Chicago will be a good test on Sunday, then they'll roll through Colorado and Arizona one more time for what should be winnable games. It's not inconceivable that the Canucks will be able to enjoy their week-long break on a high note—and in a playoff spot.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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