After the Canucks lost two games that might have been won, Rick Tocchet pushes them to step up.
After losing two games last week that they could have won, Rick Tocchet feels the Vancouver Canucks need to pick up speed.
Last week, the Vancouver Canucks suffered consecutive defeats to the Philadelphia Flyers and Calgary Flames to begin the 2024–25 season. The Canucks led both games but lost to the Flyers in a shootout on Friday and to Calgary in overtime on opening night.
Head coach Rick Tocchet understands his team can improve after losing two games that might have been won, and he wants the club to start playing well right away to avoid dropping in the standings early in the new season. The Canucks begin a three-game road trip in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.
“Perhaps you came in lazier after a little success last year,” Tocchet remarked. They were both winnable games, but I’m not sure and I’m not criticizing the guys. We need to quickly reach our basics. I don’t think we’re fighting as hard as we should, and we need to start going through individuals. Even though it’s early, we must get started.
Tocchet noted a few minor variations from the club from the previous season that he doesn’t like right now. He said that some players are staying on the ice for 50-second or longer stints, which they wouldn’t have done the previous season, and that one of those is their line changes.
For me, it’s about the little things. This year, I don’t like the alterations to our line. Additionally, men are going too far and remaining outside for fifty seconds. Most of the time, we’re doing things that we didn’t do the previous year. “Tocchet said.”
The club is still going through a time of change. It will take some time for the major free agents that General Manager Patrik Allvin brought in during the summer to get used to their new roles, but since the season is only two games old, there’s no need to worry just yet.
The Canucks will play the Florida Panthers in the south after tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. On Saturday, they will fly to Philadelphia to play the Flyers for the second time in eight days.
