Can Henrik and Daniel Sedin Beat Pekka Rinne?

So far in these 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Daniel Sedin has 5 goals, which isn't too bad - except when you realize that they were all in the first four games of the postseason. His brother Henrik, is yet to score for the Canucks and the pressure is now mounting on the two back to back Art Ross Trophy winners.

The Sedins have yet to show us why they are considered two of the most dominant offensive players in the NHL for the past few seasons, for the Canucks to advance or go deep into the playoffs, they'll need to remind everyone of just how good they can be. In all fairness to the Canucks and the Sedins, they have faced two incredible young goaltenders in Corey Crawford and Pekka Rinne. The young Finnish Predators goaltender has had their number, well let's be honest, he's had the Canucks number as a whole.

Rinne has allowed just two Canucks goals over two playoff games, which just isn't enough for the Canucks to win in today's NHL. The highest scoring team in the NHL through 82 games in the regular season, is the lowest scoring team left in the NHL Playoffs, the Canucks will need to change that to have a chance moving forward. So what do you do? How do you create goals against a big, athletic, in the zone goaltender like Pekka Rinne? You simplify your offense 5 on 5, get pucks to the net with traffic and look for dirty second and third chances. On the PowerPlay, you need to get him moving side to side, if there is a single knock on Rinne (and right now there might not be) it's his lateral movement, the Canucks need to try and exploit this.

What do we expect now that the series has shifted over to Nashville? A loud crowd at the Bridgestone Arena for starters, one of the loudest buildings in the National Hockey League should provide a fantastic atmosphere for games 3 and 4, but the Canucks need to weather the first ten minutes of each of these games and start to find ways to create time and space to let their skill take over this series. They are the deeper, more talented hockey team, and it's time to show that on the ice.

The Canucks have been great on the road this year and have a win on the road in Nashville. The key will be the Canucks best players, Ryan Kesler, Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin will need to find the back of the net. If not, the Canucks may not have many games left this year. The Sedin brothers have shown all along that they are the leaders on this team, so I fully expect some better performances on the road, than what we have seen in the past few outings. Struggling Swedish winger Mikael Samuelsson will not be skating on a line with the twins, he has been moved down to the fourth line and needs to find a way to contribute, while bruising and offensively gifted defenseman Alexander Edler replaces Samuelsson on the Canucks top PowerPlay unit.

Being down in a series against the Predators is not something the Canucks want to do, especially with the crowd and atmosphere in the building for the next two games, expect the Canucks PowerPlay to wake up in Games 3 and 4, and for some production from their top players.