It couldn’t have been scripted any better.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin said goodbye to the hometown crowd with a memorable farewell.
Daniel scored the winning goal in overtime
LeSean McCoy Bills Jersey , off an assist from twin brother Henrik as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 Thursday night.
It was the Sedins’ final NHL game at Rogers Arena and a step back in time for the crowd of 18,865 who had one more taste of the elegance and skill the brothers brought to the sport.
A blurry-eyed Daniel tried to describe his feelings when he saw the puck go into the net.
”Relief,” he said. ”I was happy. You couldn’t dream of a better ending in this building, the last time we stepped on this ice.
”It was emotional.”
For Henrik, the Canucks’ captain and franchise leader in points, it was a perfect ending to an emotional week.
”When I woke up this morning I knew it was going to be a big day,” said the older brother by six minutes. ”We tried to enjoy every minute of it.”
Daniel finished with two goals. Henrik also assisted on his first goal in the second period which tied the game 1-1.
The 37-year-old twins from Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, announced Monday they are retiring after playing 17 seasons with the Canucks. Drafted second and third overall in 1997, their final game will be Saturday in Edmonton against the Oilers.
The boisterous crowd at Rogers Arena was on its feet for most of the third period and the overtime. Between ovations there were chants of ”Go Sedins Go” and ”Hall of Fame.”
The anticipation ratcheted up even higher when the Sedins went over the boards after Arizona’s Richard Panik was called for hooking at 1:16 of overtime.
The goal came when Henrik passed back to Daniel, who blasted a shot from the blue line.
The Canucks came off the bench to mob the brothers. Hats littered the ice. Coyote players banged their sticks in recognition.
After the celebration Daniel and Henrik slowly skated around the arena, waving and clapping to the fans.
Defenseman Alex Edler said it was the kind of finish the Canucks wanted for their teammates.
”It was special for sure,” said Edler, who also assisted on both of Daniel’s goals. ”We talked before the game it was going to be loud. We just fed off that.
”The twins had a great game. They were on fire. It was a perfect ending.”
The first goal was a throwback to the Sedins’ early years.
The play began with Henrik making a move along the boards, then dishing the puck to Edler, who was streaking toward the goal. He passed to Daniel
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Both Sedins had season highs of ice time. Henrik logged 21 minutes 36 seconds. Daniel was on for 21:12 and had 10 shots on goal.
Winning the game was just the icing on the cake. Sending the fans home buzzing about a last special performance was the main victory for the Sedins.
”It means something,” Henrik said. ”The way the crowd showed up, right from the warmup.
”To finish off like we did, they can walk away and remember this. If you lose the game 5-1, it’s not fun. It’s a better feeling for us.”
Christian Fischer, Derek Stepan and Dylan Strome scored for Arizona.
Jake Virtanen and Brendan Leipsic got the other goals for the Canucks. Both teams will miss the playoffs.
With Vancouver struggling in the standings, Rogers Arena has often been a quiet building with plenty of empty seats this season. The Sedins’ finale produced the energy and enthusiasm of a playoff game.
Even in the warmups, fans lined the boards waving signs and snapping pictures on cell phones. One woman held up a sign which lit up with the words ”Congrats Henrik and Daniel.”
The first standing ovation came when the Sedins skated out for the national anthems. During the game there were loud cheers each time the Sedins stepped on the ice, anticipation whenever they touched the puck.
The fans almost got their wish 18 seconds into the game when Henrik hit the post.
The standing ovations continued after most whistles during the third period. Daniel and Henrik acknowledged with waves.
Prior to the game there was a video tribute. Past Canucks players and coaches talked about the Sedins’ history, their contributions on the ice and their work in the community. A tribute mural wall was installed outside the arena for fans to write messages. The lights outside Rogers Arena and in many city buildings glowed Swedish blue and yellow in tribute.
During the game some fans chanted ”one more year.” Daniel was asked if there was any chance the brothers would reconsider their retirement.
”No, not at all,” he said. ”I saw our kids up on the Jumbotron (during the game). That made me happy. We will spend more time with them.”
NOTES: Attending the game were the Sedins’ parents and two brothers. . The Canucks gave out their team awards with rookie Brock Boeser the most outstanding player, Alex Edler the top defenseman and Derek Dorsett the unsung hero.
UP NEXT:
Coyotes: Host Anaheim on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
Canucks: Travel to Edmonton on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
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When Saints rookie receiver Tre’Quan Smith picked his jersey number, he had a choice between 10 or 18.
The number 10 held no personal significance to Smith previously, but he knew it meant something to fans in New Orleans.
Brandin Cooks, the Saints’ first-round choice in 2014
http://www.buffalobillsteamonline.com/tremaine-edmunds-jersey , wore that number until he was traded to New England in 2017. So Smith, never shy about discussing his own high standards, went with that.
”It meant a lot, what he did on the field when he was here,” Smith said of Cooks, who had two 1,000-yard seasons in New Orleans and is now with the Los Angeles Rams.
”It just boosts the expectations of like, what I have to do. Because I know the guy who wore it before me, he was a great player. So, I want to be a great player.”
The 6-foot-2 Smith is one of two receivers who could grow into significant roles in New Orleans’ passing game. The other is Cameron Meredith, a free-agent acquisition who led Chicago in receiving two seasons ago before missing all of last season with a knee injury.
Smith unabashedly endorses the notion that he was one of the steals of last spring’s draft when he was selected in the third round – 91st overall – out of Central Florida.
Saints receivers coach Curtis Johnson said the 6-3 Meredith has the ability to give the Saints some of what they lost when the franchise’s career receiving leader, Marques Colston, retired after the 2015 season.
”When you talk about red zone and third down, one thing you want to do is you want to have length” on the field, said Johnson, who also was Meredith’s position coach in Chicago two seasons ago. ”He has the skills to separate in small spaces. For big guys
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Johnson said Meredith can play out wide, but is particularly adept at executing ”seam” routes down the middle of the field as a slot receiver, particularly against smaller defensive backs.
”There’s a lot of small DBs in the league, and you love to see him match up with small guys, especially in the slot,” Johnson said.
Last season, Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn were the most productive members of New Orleans’ receiving group; Thomas had 1,245 yards and five touchdown catches, while Ginn had 787 yards and four TDs receiving.
Both are back. But if Meredith returns to his form of 2016 – 888 yards, four TDs – and Smith develops quickly, quarterback Drew Brees could find it easier to punish defenses for shading coverage toward a particular side of the field, or a particular receiver.
Smith missed a number of offseason practices with a hamstring injury, but was able to take part in summer workouts Brees hosted in California.
Since camp opened, Smith periodically has been working with the first-team offense, and Brees has connected with him deep downfield already.
”He can run,” Saints coach Sean Payton said
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”He’s making some good plays and then all of a sudden he’s having a few plays that he’s got to correct,” Payton said. ”His stance and start still need work, but (it’s) something he’s been focused on.”
Meredith had reconstructive knee surgery a little less than a year ago. He’d been easing his way back into on-field work during the offseason. Coaches are still monitoring his snap count during camp, but when he is on the field, he appears to run routes without limitations.
”I’m out here practicing and felt good, so that’s a good sign,” Meredith said, adding that the opportunity to work with Brees is ”amazing.”
”He’s such a leader,” Meredith said, specifying that he has picked up on elements of Brees’ preparation and work ethic that other players can adopt, regardless of the position they play. ”He’s very detailed about everything.”
Johnson calls Meredith ”smart beyond his years,” explaining that the fourth-year pro ”hasn’t played much, but he’s mature … and having Drew on his side is awesome.”
Even before Meredith got back on the field, he appeared to have made a good impression on Brees.
”I like talking to him. I like his attitude. I like what I’ve seen from his prior film. I like his size and his strength,” Brees said earlier this offseason. ”He fits the system well and I think we’re going to be able to do a lot of things with him.”
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