The Canucks closed out their five game road trip with a 6-3 loss to Seattle on Saturday night. For the third game in a row, the Canucks held a lead but couldn’t make it work. They finished the trip a disappointing 1-4, yet are still holding down a playoff spot somehow. If you missed the game:
“The other teams are coming up with moments and we’re not.”
It’s a pretty good summary from Tocchet about the Canucks at the moment. It’s a fragile group without any swagger. The top players are missing. The defensive structure the team showed before the 4 Nations break is MIA. Hughes got hurt again (Tocc said he “tweaked” something) in last night's game. Things aren’t so good in Canuck land right now.
The Canucks played a pretty dominant first period last night, putting up 15 shots and hitting iron three times. They were a bit unlucky to not come away with more. But after that they sort of let up, putting up 16 shots over the final 20 and allowing the Kraken to take the game out of their hands. The team needed their big guys to step up, and they did not.
“Those guys have got to get some shots on net,” Tocchet said of his top forwards. “You've got to get pucks to the net in this game; sometimes you've just got to get a greasy goal. Whatever it takes.
“Tight games... late in the game, and the other team's coming up with moments and we're not. That's really what it comes down to. You're looking for scoring on a breakaway or scoring on two-on-one to go up two goals. You know, we're looking for that. Or a blocked shot or something — winning three or four draws in a row. When you're in tight games, that's when you have to have that mentality.
“I think there's certain guys that are playing well; we've got to be careful how we analyze certain things. You're in tight games and you're looking to play under pressure. And right now, like I said, the other team's coming up with moments and we're not.”
Boeser and Pettersson – who were put on a line together last night – didn’t register a shot on net the whole game.
“We need to lead,” DeBrusk said bluntly. “Every single good team, the top players are playing like it. I take responsibility, too; I need to be better. Anytime there’s one-goal games (that we lose), I take it personally. Scoring goals isn’t everything, but win your matchups. At the end of the day, that’s what we’ve got to get to do. Beat your matchup; that’s where we’ve got to start.”
It was a game that the Canucks could have shown themselves and management they’re ready for a playoff push. Against a divisional team behind them in the standings, the chance to separate themselves a little from Calgary who lost on the evening, the trade deadline five days away…
“It was a chance for us to pull a couple more points ahead (in the standings), and we let that one slip away,” Joshua said. “That’s just been our model lately is blowing leads, and we couldn’t get that one back.
“[It was] probably just not enough desperation for the time and moment that we’re in.”
The team is now back in Vancouver, and they open up a four game homestand against the Ducks on Wednesday. Pretty doubtful they’ll be holding down a playoff spot when the puck drops then. But, we’ll see.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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