When Henrik Sedin recorded his 1000th career point, the circumstances were almost perfect.
Instead of a measly secondary assist, the point came from a pretty goal. The goal came at home in front of a large hometown crowd that erupted when he scored. The assists were to his brother Daniel and fellow Swede Alex Edler. It may not have been the game-winning goal, but it was the game-tying goal to kickstart a Canucks comeback win.
On top of it all, the goal was scored on his longtime friend and former teammate, Roberto Luongo.
It doesn’t get much better than that.
Meanwhile, Daniel Sedin is also approaching 1000 points. He’s arriving a little later than Henrik as he has missed more games in his career than his older brother, but he’s almost there. Heading into Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, Daniel has 996 points, just four removed from the thousand-point club.
When he does, Daniel will become the 87th NHL player to reach 1000 career points, right after Sidney Crosby. I will note here that Daniel’s injuries robbed Crosby of the chance to become the 87th member of the thousand-point club, which would have been a neat thing for #87.
Henrik got his storybook moment for his 1000th point, getting it against a former teammate and captain. What would be the best game for Daniel to get his 1000th point?
Let’s assume it comes fairly soon. As much as the Sedins have declined, they’re still scoring at a pace just short of half-a-point per game, so it’s reasonable to assume Daniel will get his 1000th point within 8-10 games, maybe a few after, to allow some leeway. Which game would be most poetic?
November 23rd at New Jersey
This would require a four-point night from Daniel, which seems far-fetched, but it’s the only way for Daniel to get his 1000th point against a former Canucks teammate in net, Cory Schneider.
There’s no other connection to the New Jersey Devils, however, so this doesn’t feel quite right, not to mention a four-point game is a lot to ask of Daniel at this stage of his career.
November 26th at New York
Getting an historic Canucks milestone against the New York Rangers would certainly feel good for Canucks fans. There might also be some personal resonance for Daniel in having Alain Vigneault in the building, his coach during the peak of his career.
He could also get his 1000th point against a former Olympic and World Champion teammate, Henrik Lundqvist. It would require back-to-back two-point nights or some other combination of four points in two games, but it’s doable.
December 2nd vs Toronto
There’s still something special about a Saturday Hockey Night in Canada game. Since the game is against Toronto, it’s at 4 PM Pacific Time, which means folks out east won’t be too sleepy to watch the game.
Though there may not be any personal connection with the Leafs, Daniel getting his 1000th career point at home with all of Canada watching would be pretty special.
December 9th at Calgary
This is another Hockey Night in Canada game, though it’s the later game, which means eastern Canada won’t know it happened until they watch the highlights in the morning.
The Calgary Flames would be an ideal opponent for such a momentous occasion. The Sedins have devoured the Flames throughout their careers: Daniel has more points against the Flames than any other team in the NHL, including one of the most iconic moments of his entire career.
It would seem pretty fitting for Daniel to get his 1000th career point against the Flames. There’s just one thing that would make it better…
December 17th vs Calgary
...getting it at home.
This would be a long time to wait for Daniel’s 1000th point and it would require a slump — just 4 points in 12 games — but can you picture Daniel putting in his 1000th point against the Flames at home? Can you picture the standing ovation? His humble salute to the crowd? Can you picture it?
