The Vancouver Canucks’ third game of the season on Oct. 17 brought them face-to-face with a stark reality—they have huge issues to address. Although goaltender Thatcher Demko showed his skills with a remarkable 40-save performance, the rest of the team fell flat.
The Philadelphia Flyers, under the guidance of their fiery, intense, or confrontational (pick one or more) head coach John Tortorella, exposed several glaring weaknesses in the Canucks’ game. [Despite what anyone thinks of Tortorella, he can see and expose another team’s weaknesses.]
The Canucks Were Outplayed and Out-Coached
The Flyers entered the game with a well-thought-out strategy aimed at nullifying any momentum the Canucks might have carried with them from their previous two victories over the Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks tried to dial it in. As a result, they were outplayed and (it appears) out-coached.
Costly penalties, including some questionable ones (like a debatable penalty shot), further added to their problems. Whether or not the penalty shot was legitimate or not matters little. It simply underscores the Flyers’ dominance during the game.
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Any luck the Canucks had was bad luck. In the third period, they managed to put the puck in the net. Carson Soucy’s shot bounced off Flyers’ goalie Carter Hart’s blocker and over him into the net. However, the goal was overturned by video review after the Flyers challenged the call, claiming that Connor Garland interfered with Hart as he was trying to recover to make the save.
The challenge overturned the goal and the Canucks’ celebrations were short-lived. Given that the puck would have crossed the goal line – interference or not – was inconsequential. The Canucks’ desperation in the Flyer’s crease yielded no reward.
The Canucks’ Early Season Challenges
While it’s still early, the Canucks had their weaknesses brought to light on Tuesday. It was evident that Tortorella had identified areas his team could leverage to thwart the Canucks’ ability to mount any offense. Vancouver now must return to the drawing board and figure out how to improve their play.
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Specifically, the Flyers allowed the Canucks only minimal time and space to set up their plays. Their pressure highlighted the need for faster decision-making and puck movement.
The Canucks’ Path to Improvement
As the season progresses, Vancouver must learn to play at the quicker pace demanded by the Flyers and other teams.
Head coach Rick Tocchet has his work cut out for him, and the tenor of his comments seemed, at least in part, self-directed. He likely should have seen this coming and prepared his team for such a possibility. Hindsight, it seems.
Tocchet Calls Out Canucks’ Lack of Compete in Loss to Flyers
As can be seen in the video below, Tocchet didn’t mince words in his post-game assessment. He emphasized that the team’s lackluster performance was only saved by Demko.
He was right in his positive assessment of Demko’s game. Both Flyers’ goals were scored in the first period, one on a screened shot from the point and the other on a penalty shot by Sean Couturier.
Demko stopped 22 shots in the second period alone. However, his team simply couldn’t find a way to score. This wasn’t Demko’s only good game. In his two starts this season, he has a .953 save percentage and a goals-against-average of 1.70.
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Tocchet’s concerns were evident as he candidly stated, “It was like Thatcher Demko was great tonight, and the rest of the guys weren’t. We just got some guys that, you know, they better pick it up.”
Tocchet hesitated to use the word “soft” but felt compelled to bring it up anyway. He observed a disheartening absence of desire to compete, and it is a cause for concern.
A Harsh Wake-Up Call for the Canucks
For Tocchet, the game against the Flyers served as a valuable lesson. The Canucks cannot afford to underestimate their opponents. The bottom line is that the Flyers competed, the Canucks didn’t.
In no uncertain terms, Tocchet said that competing is non-negotiable. While the team might have shown spurts of effort, it fell far short of what was expected, and those rare sporadic bursts of intensity were not good enough.
The Bottom Line
Tocchet’s unvarnished assessment should be a wake-up call for the Canucks. In the NHL, no team can afford to be complacent. It’s a lesson they must take to heart as they continue their journey through the season.