What should have been a win last night for the Canucks turned into a disappointing 7-6 shootout loss. Leads of 3-0 and 5-2 were erased by the Blue Jackets, and the Canucks even needed a late-game equalizer to squeeze out a point after the BJs took the lead. If you missed the game, you can watch all the goals:
“What are you going to do. We scored six goals, we just couldn’t get it done,” Tocchet said of the game.
Losing a point like this after leading for so much of the game isn’t acceptable for a team trying to hunt down a playoff spot. Especially a team that’s been so good defensively all season. But, due to injuries and whatnot, the Canucks were icing the 6th youngest team in the NHL last night. Maybe that – combined with Lankinen’s injury/illness that kept him out a few games – was a reason for the mental collapse.
"The fight was there," Tocchet told reporters after the game. “At 5-3, a couple mistakes. We’re losing battles. When pressure hits, you've got to face it. I think sometimes we're sinking.
“They’re trying hard but it’s a lesson for them. … You’ve got to squash these plays in the corner.”
"That was a highly emotional game. We didn't quit but that said we let them score three goals straight twice," Boeser added. "That's obviously unacceptable. We've got to clean up whatever happened."
It’s a point they let slip away, and the gap between them and the Blues just got a little bit bigger.
For a team that had been struggling to score goals, it was good to see some young guys step up. Karlsson potted a goal and Raty netted two. They’re going to need those guys to grow their game if the club wants to make strides next year.
"Great linemates, the team's playing good and producing a lot of offence," Raty said of his recent success. "[Our line] can read off each other pretty good, then some good bounces in front of the net and stuff like that. It's great to get going."
It doesn’t get easier from here, as the Jets are up next looking for revenge on Sunday.
"We've got to learn from this one and focus on that one,” Boeser said post-game. “We only have nine left now and every game matters. We've got to make sure that we're ready and prepared."
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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