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Rick Tocchet did something very unusual after the Vancouver Canucks’ incredible comeback victory on Wednesday night. The usually stoic coach let loose a bit and displayed his emotions.
When the clock hit zero, Tocchet jumped into the air and started high-fiving fans as he walked back to the dressing room. There was mass jubilation inside Rogers Arena to celebrate the Canucks taking a 1-0 lead in their second round series.
Coach is just like us. pic.twitter.com/l5J6NAxCrK
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 9, 2024
The head coach is usually cool as a cucumber no matter the result of the game. He rarely strays away from the steady attitude which he’s preached to his players all year long.
“I don’t know, it’s usually not me” responded the head coach when asked what prompted the outburst of emotion. “I don’t even know if I cheered when Lindy scored that overtime goal in Nashville.”
“I just liked the demeanour of the guys, I don’t know, I just let it out. I just like the way these guys came back, resilient.”
“It’s Game 1 you know. I actually don’t like seeing me doing that to be honest with you. I really don’t, not Game 1,” he finished with a chuckle.
There was a lot to celebrate in this game as the Canucks scored three goals in just over five minutes to pull off a third-period comeback. Rogers Arena was going crazy as the home team scored four unanswered goals to claim a 1-0 lead over the Edmonton Oilers.
The head coach is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award. His steady approach and consistent attitude have been essential in the Canucks’ transformation from a lottery team to a playoff contender.
“[He’s] a big part of it,” said captain Quinn Hughes today about Tocchet’s role in the team’s never-give-up mentality. “I think it starts in September, really it started last year and trying to get us to believe and kind of get the stink out of here [from] the previous years.”
“I think it’s been not just a message that we’re saying before this series, it’s been a message for nine or ten months now.”
“We just have confidence in what we need to do and they do a really good job at giving us a game plan and the details of the game and we try to execute that and it gives us a good chance to win.”
The Canucks will have a chance to double their series lead on Wednesday when they take on the Oilers. If they do manage to pull out another victory, don’t expect to see Tocchet jumping for joy when the buzzer sounds.