Every Goal Daniel Sedin Scored Last Season

Pictured above, from left to right: Daniel (or Henrik) and Henrik (or Daniel) Sedin.

An obvious statement: last year was a breakout season for the Sedins. Henrik Sedin won the NHL scoring race, was named the Sporting News player of the year, and won some nifty hardware. Daniel Sedin got to be his brother. It was their best offensive year, as they combined for 197 points--58 of them goals (29 apiece). For a week and a half, we have been reviewing every goal scored by the Canucks roster, player by player. We covered Mason Raymond, Ryan Kesler, and Mikael Samuelsson before shifting our focus to defense, where we covered Christian Ehrhoff, Sami Salo, Alex Edler & Kevin Bieksa, and then the rest of them. Today, in twin posts (pun gleefully intended), we at PiTB have dedicated Friday both Sedins. Below you will find every goal Daniel Sedin scored last season. Wrong twin? Henrik is over here.

1. Nov. 28 vs. the Edmonton Oilers
Can you believe Daniel's first goal of the season comes on November 28th? Recall that he had a slow start, and then got hurt, but it's still pretty unbelievable that, two months into the season, Tanner "Not a 3rd Liner" Glass had more goals than Brother Daniel. This one is a fairly typical Sedin goal: Henrik parks behind the net, and centers it to Daniel in close. Note, however, that Henrik's first pass is stopped by two defenders, and somehow he still manages to maintain control of the puck and put it right on the tape of his brother's stick. Daniel's poise once he receives the pass is stellar, and his backhand is a thing of beauty. But there's more! Watch the replay. In order: Daniel 1) does a brilliant spin move to protect the puck, 2) puts the puck off the boards to himself to keep it from a pokecheck, 3) kicks the puck up to his stick and takes it around the net, 4) then makes a back pass to Henrik in which he banks the puck off the back of the net. This is all well before the goal. That's incredible. Holy cow, is every goal going to be like this?

2. Dec. 2 vs. the New Jersey Devils
Thank God, this is a little more tame. Daniel gets in behind the defense on a sloppy change and wires a slapshot past Marty Brodeur. One thing I hope watching these Sedin goals in order illuminates: the passing ability of Alex Burrows. He hasn't just worked with the Sedins because he's a mucker who gets them the puck. It's not that simple. Here, it's his little touch pass at the blue line that sends Daniel Sedin in with speed.

3. Dec. 8 vs. the Nashville Predators
That said, nobody passes the puck like Henrik. Here, he spins to draw in his defenseman, and then makes an insane, seeing-eye no-look back pass . Consider that, without looking, Henrik threads this pass between four Nashville Predators to land right on Daniel's tape as he cuts through the zone with speed. Daniel's shot is a thing of beauty and Burrows' screen is perfect. I also like Garrett's suggestion that it might have gone off Alex Burrows, followed by Shorty dismissal with, "I already wrote down Daniel."

4. Dec. 10 vs. the Atlanta Thrashers
If you're new to the Sedins, here are two things to watch out for: 1) their work behind the net, and 2) your Eastern bias. I kid. The Sedins are magic from back there. Here, Daniel picks up a rebound, then wraps it around to beat Pavelec. The Sedins may not have top-flight speed from end to end, but their quickness around the net is second to none.

5. Dec. 10 vs. the Atlanta Thrashers
I'm going to disagree with Ferraro on this one: Henrik is trying to pass to Daniel. I've learned that, with the Sedins, if it's brilliant and unthinkable, they meant to do it. Steve Bernier makes a nice pass to Henrik, who gets it to Daniel at the net. Daniel barely touches it, but it's enough to get it past Pavelec. I recall a similar goal against Phoenix where Daniel just has to touch it to score, and it crawls across the line. That's how good Henrik's passes are. Note as well the great work by Shane O'Brien to protect the puck and make a pass. He's actually great at protecting the puck. It's his shot that sucks. He looks like a toddler playing teeball.

6. Dec. 10 vs. the Atlanta Thrashers
This is actually Nik Antropov's goal, and the first lucky bounce we've seen in these highlights. It's also Daniel's first of two hat trick goals last season, and there are a couple things to note: first, if you think hockey is taking root in Atlanta, consider that zero hats hit the ice after the score. They have no clue what's going on. Second, note again the great work by Alex Burrows, first beating his man behind the net, then taking a beating to get it to Daniel. This is the work Burrows does just to get a Sedin the puck. That's why he's the best fit for them.

7. Dec. 12 vs. the Minnesota Wild
Another great pass from Henrik. It's almost the identical play to the Predators goal. Pay special attention here to Daniel's shot. It's only a split second, but he actually delays with it in order to freeze Backstrom before roofing it. It's like he's going in stop-motion.

8. Dec. 22 vs. the Nashville Predators
Here is a textbook Sedin power play goal, as Daniel makes a nice pass to Henrik, who feeds an equally nice pass back to him through traffic for the score. Notice where Alex Burrows is.

9. Dec. 26 vs. the Edmonton Oilers
Daniel's goal here is a combination of the two before it. Henrik makes Sheldon Souray look kind of dumb with the spin and the back pass, and Daniel again makes a little delay move that freezes the goalie and lets him know where the open area is for the score. His poise with the puck in tight is what separates him from lesser players. It's another theme to watch out for.

10. Dec. 31 vs. the St. Louis Blues
In case it wasn't clear that Daniel is supposed to be the goal scorer, here he is trying to center the puck for Henrik from behind the net. The universe right itself quickly, however, and the puck banks off Roman Polak's skate and in. In the next game, John Garrett says he thinks Daniel was trying to bank this one in. It's unthinkable and brilliant, so it's possible. But I doubt it. Another theme: Alex Burrows falls down a lot. It's a testament to how good he is in other areas that his crap skating doesn't hold him back.

11. Jan. 2 vs. the Dallas Stars
Another friendly bounce, as Henrik finds Daniel down low on the power play, and as he tries to bring the puck to his forehand (or pass it across to Burrows), it goes off Trevor Daley's skate and in. Garrett says it was an accident, and the last game's accident was on purpose. It's a testament to the Sedins' skill that either could be intentional.

12. Jan. 9 vs. the Calgary Flames
One of the best goals of the season. Burrows' high saucer pass is beautifully measured to send Henrik in alone, but Henrik was thinking on a whole different level last season. I want to say he is the only person in the world who would have thought to do that, but Daniel was thinking it too. Man, are these guys good.

13. Jan. 20 vs. the Edmonton Oilers
This is a perfect passing play. My favorite thing about it is the way Henrik makes the first pass, then skates backwards through the Oilers' 3-man box all the way to the other side of the ice. Why backwards? Because if he just sprints over there, he's unable to receive the pass for about two seconds, and that's unacceptable for a Sedin. Anyway, it throws the Oilers' alignment off completely, and opens up a huge lane for the pass through to Daniel.

14. Jan. 23 vs. the Chicago Blackhawks
This goal is similar to the one that was disallowed during the 2010 playoffs against the Kings, despite there being no kicking motion. In fact, this is the goal that was included in the package sent to all 30 NHL teams to illustrate what wasn't a kicking motion.

15. Jan. 30 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs
I remember this night. The Sedins put on a clinic in the 3rd period, doublehandedly bringing the Canucks back to win the game. They were the story, but here, it's Alex Burrows and another pretty pass that gives Daniel a wide open net.

16. Jan. 30 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs
If I were to pinpoint one way in which the Sedins improved last season, it was scoring on the rush. Here we see their speed on display, and another of Henrik's perfect passes. Daniel's redirect is a thing of beauty, as there isn't much room to get the puck through, but he finds it. Poor Ian White. He did well to lift Daniel's stick and take away the pass option, but only for a moment.

17. Mar. 9 vs. the Colorado Avalanche
Evidence that being in Toronto makes you a worse athlete (on top the Lee Stempniak show after being traded to Phoenix, and everything): consider that Daniel went 11 games without scoring after the show he and Henrik put on against the Leafs. He breaks his drought here with an empty-netter.

18. Mar. 13 vs. the Ottawa Senators
Again with Daniel's poise and patience in front. Here he outwaits Pascal Leclaire despite pressure from a defender in order to score. Henrik's pass is a nifty little piece of opportunism.

19. Mar. 14 vs. the Calgary Flames
At this point, is it just routine for Henrik to pass through four guys to find Daniel? As usual, it's from behind the net. If I were a coach, I might just have two guys lie down along the trapezoid to take away this pass. I feel bad for Flames fans, as their team was spectacularly victimized by the Sedins on numerous occasions last season.

20. Mar. 20 vs. the Detroit Red Wings
Similar to a goal that Marian Hossa scored last season, Daniel catches the puck, quickly drops it in front of his stick, and puts it into the net. Again we are witness to his poise in close.

21. Mar. 23 vs. the Edmonton Oilers
Before you say, all these goals are the same, consider that this time, when Henrik makes a perfect pass, he threads it through five guys. Five. It's a different sort of pass, too, as Henrik foregoes the no-look backhand for a spin-o-rama and a forehand pass. Though Burrows kind of whiffs at it, I'm fairly certain it was genuinely meant for Daniel, which is typically unthinkable.

22. Mar. 24 vs. the Anaheim Ducks
I remember Daniel being mum on whether or not this was on purpose. It looks on purpose, it just couldn't possibly be. Like most of his goals.

23. Mar. 27 vs. the San Jose Sharks
Here's a power play goal off a rebound. It's another testament to Daniel's poise down low, as well as the infuriating net presence of Alex Burrows and his penchant for falling down.

24. Mar. 30 vs. the Phoenix Coyotes
In maybe one of the Sedins' best goals of the year, this passing play begins with Alex Burrows getting it off the wall to Henrik. It's a nice pass. Henrik's pass is more than nice, however; it's a backhand through the legs of his defender that Daniel only needs to touch to finish. His balance here is a thing of beauty, as he gets his stick on the puck between his legs, and has just enough strength to propel it in the right direction.

25. Apr. 6 vs. the Colorado Avalanche
In this clip, Daniel is the first one to a shot off the boards that gets in behind Craig Anderson. Can we take a minute to note how many of Daniel's goals are within a foot of the crease? By my count, all but three.

26. Apr. 6 vs. the Colorado Avalanche
Like every member of the Canucks' top six, Daniel has a downright wicked wrist shot, but where he excels is with that little delay move of his. Consider that he goes top-corner across Craig Anderson's body from a tight angle here, and it's all because he gets Anderson to move to the near post with that move.

27. Apr. 10 vs. the Calgary Flames
I want to say this play is all Daniel, but Henrik's saucer pass is gorgeous, too. Then Daniel burns his man with a little inside-outside move and roofs it. Don't listen to his critics; Daniel Sedin is fast. Now, earlier I said his end-to-end speed wasn't all that good, and it isn't, but, his acceleration causes major problems for defenders who underestimate it like Jay Bouwmeester does here.

28. Apr. 10 vs. the Calgary Flames
This is such a textbook 2-on-1. I have nothing to add.

29. Apr. 10 vs. the Calgary Flames
The last game of the season was a real treat for Canucks fans, as Daniel and Henrik put on a little show in a mean nothing game that wound up winning Henrik the Art Ross and the Hart. Make no mistake: if this game doesn't happen, Henrik gets zero trophies. This goal gives Daniel his hat trick, but it's also the best goal of the year by far and a candidate for the best goal of the decade. I think the added exposure of such an incredible goal was what clinched Henrik's case. Canucks fans should cherish that we get to watch these guys every night. Take note of Henrik's tip pass before Daniel's between-the-legs goal. I think it's almost as pretty.

Now on to Henrik!

Want more Sedins? PiTB's got you covered. Here are their top 10 plays from last season. Wondering why you don't see them more often? Qris thinks it's because they're not sexy. Want to see them in a commercial for the Swedish NHL 11? Right here, pal. Want to see Henrik Sedin photoshopped into an ad for Death Race 2000? We're right there. Tell your friends about Pass it to Bulis.