(SportsNetwork.com) – Vancouver forward Daniel Sedin is scheduled to appear in
his 1,000th career NHL game on Sunday night when the Canucks play host to the
Chicago Blackhawks.
Sedin has logged 311 goals, 514 assists and 825 points since being drafted
second overall by the Canucks in 1999. His twin brother Henrik Sedin, taken
one pick after Daniel, reached the 1,000-game milestone last season, posting
198 goals, 664 assists and 862 points in 1,030 games.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin are tied for the club lead with 20 points, with Henrik
logging five goals and 15 assists and Daniel Sedin posting four goals and a
club-high 16 helpers.
“It will be emotional for myself, for sure,” Daniel Sedin said of the
milestone. “To play this long for this franchise means a lot. We’ve been
through a lot, ups and downs. We’ve been through everything.”
Vancouver is a little more up than down this season as it tries to rebound
from missing the 2014 playoffs. The Canucks are third in the Pacific Division
with a record of 13-6-1.
They dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, falling
to 3-1-1 in their past five games. Jannik Hansen and Radim Vrbata both scored
and Bo Horvat added the first NHL goal of his career.
Eddie Lack made 23 saves in defeat.
“You have to give the team credit,” Vancouver head coach Willie Desjardins
said. “They came back. It’s not that they didn’t battle.”
Vancouver did suffer a blow when defenseman Dan Hamhuis was lost to a lower-
body injury 1:27 into the game. His status is unknown, but he could reportedly
be out for months with the ailment.
Ryan Miller is expected to start in goal for the Canucks tonight and is 2-3-0
with a 2.53 goals against average and .925 save percentage in five starts
against the Blackhawks.
Chicago plays the third contest of a six-game swing, with the club on its
annual Circus Trip. The ‘Hawks have won the first two, beating Calgary two
days before a 7-1 thumping of the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
Jonathan Toews scored twice and Marian Hossa added a goal and three assists in
Chicago’s third straight win and sixth in the past eight. Patrick Kane and
Kris Versteeg each had a goal and an assist, while Duncan Keith and Marcus
Kruger scored as well.
“I know we’ve been on the other end of games like this,” said Chicago head
coach Joel Quenneville. “It’s a lot better to be at the other side of this
sort of game.”
Antti Raanta was slated to start last night’s game, but was unable to go due
to illness. No. 1 goaltender Corey Crawford stepped in and made 24 saves.
It is unknown who will start for Chicago tonight. Crawford is 5-2-2 with a
2.08 GAA and .931 save percentage in his career versus the Canucks, while
Raanta has faced them just once before and took a shootout loss after halting
22-of-24 shots faced.
The Blackhawks won two of three versus the Canucks last season, picking up
both victories in Vancouver.
