Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet didn’t mince words when asked about a benching during last night’s 5-3 loss to the Nashville Predators.
J.T. Miller didn’t see the ice for the majority of the third period. The star forward had just two shifts in the final frame and didn’t see the ice for the last 14:40 of the game. That included when the Canucks had their goalie pulled and just needed one goal to tie it.
“I went with the guys I thought could get us back in the game,” said the head coach bluntly after the final whistle.
Tocchet then clarified that the benching had nothing to do with a minor injury that Miller’s been dealing with through the early part of the season. It was all based on performance.
The American forward finished the game with just 11:41 of total ice-time, the lowest he’s received since joining the Canucks.
J.T. Miller recorded his lowest ice-time across his #Canucks career tonight.
He played just 11:41.
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) November 18, 2024
Miller’s performance throughout the game was far below his usual standard. He recorded zero shots and was on the ice for what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
The centre’s effort on that play was far from good enough and led to Steven Stamkos firing one home on the power play.
That’s ✌️ for Stamkos!
The Preds pot three unanswered to take a 4-2 lead through two. pic.twitter.com/tiXM07beQZ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 18, 2024
The loss dropped the Canucks home record to 3-4-3 and they allowed five goals for the fifth time in 10 games at home so far this year.
“I liked our five-on-five play, we just need some key guys to make some plays for us,” continued Tocchet to the media.
Elias Pettersson, Teddy Blueger, and Aatu Räty all played a few more minutes than usual to make up for Miller’s third-period absence. Pettersson and Räty scored.
Just last week, Tocchet told reporters that he feels like he’s been “too soft” this season. The decision to bench one of his stars last night was not soft.
“I think I’ve been too soft this year,” said #Canucks coach Tocchet today.
“Our efforts aren’t good at all. Accept it and move on. We worked hard in practice today. Focus when it’s time to focus tomorrow.”
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) November 15, 2024
Miller has gone through his ups-and-downs since arriving in Vancouver but has played his best hockey since Tocchet joined the club. The coach and player have a strong relationship and Tocchet has done a strong job at pushing Miller in the right direction.