It’s been a long season for Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.
If last year was like a dream with every bounce going his team’s way, this year has been a nightmare. From injuries to off-ice drama to stars underperforming, this season has been filled with challenges.
Last night’s 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres summed up this year so perfectly that Tocchet called the game a “microcosm” of their season. The team blew a third-period lead against a team playing a back-to-back. The Canucks looked lifeless for much of the third as they squandered away an important two points. Today, the coach expanded on those feelings.
“I’m disappointed in the team, and I let them know that this morning. We’ll see the reaction.”
“Guys stopped skating, guys start doing fancy plays. [Bad] body language came back for whatever reason. You just can’t do that. Winners don’t do that. You don’t slam gates.”
“There was a part of the game in the second and start of the third like. ‘Hey, these guys aren’t into it right now.’ That’s what disturbs me and pisses me off.”
It was one of the first times this season Tocchet’s frustration has really shone through. He doesn’t often say he’s pissed off or disappointed, but those words echo the feelings of many fans who are sick of seeing the team lose this season.
The defeat against the Sabres continues a disturbing trend. There have been far too many games where the club hasn’t shown much of any fight down the stretch of big games as they wilt away in the big moments.
The Canucks can’t string two wins together, having last done so on December 1. Their home record is especially shocking, standing at 8-10-6.
The energy around the team isn’t very good right now. There aren’t a ton of smiles or laughs going around as the slide down the standings continues.
“I’m not sure we’re happy with the process. That’s why we’ve got some frowns and people aren’t happy. You shouldn’t be happy. I love that line: go to Disneyland if you want to have fun. We’re in the business of winning.”
We’re more than halfway through the season, and the Canucks are outside a playoff spot, something that seemed highly improbable back in early October. Something needs to change fast, and Tocchet is well aware of that fact. A move feels like it’s coming soon, and if it doesn’t, the team is in danger of falling behind even further in the playoff race.