Canucks Head Coach Rich Tocchet Calls-Out Very Specific Players in Post-Game Press Conference
Photo credit: NHL
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet spoke candidly with reporters on Friday night after the team blew two multi-goal leads and lost in a shootout to Columbus.
The Vancouver Canucks entered Friday night's game with an opportunity to see their Stanley Cup Playoff odds jump, however they ended up dropping slightly after the team lost 7-6 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who jumped into a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Games like last night's aren't going to sit too well with the Vancouver Canucks players or coaching staff and afterwards, especially as they're fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference with just nine games remaining on their schedule.
Rick Tocchet opens up following tough loss to Columbus Blue Jackets
After the game, Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet spoke candidly with reporters and thought the team's fight was there, but there are some things they need to clean up going forward.
"Yeah, a lot of turns here and there. A lot of peaks and valleys. Like I said, I think the guys gave it their all. There's some battle areas, I think in those battles we've got 2 guys on 1 guy and he came out of the corner. Those are the things we've got to clean up. But overall, I thought the fight, obviously getting that goal to tie it up, so the fight was there." Tocchet said.
In the first period, Vancouver went up 3-0, only to see that lead evaporate in the first nine minutes of the middle frame as Columbus tied the game up at 3-3.
Aatu Raty and Tyler Myers scored to give the Canucks a 5-3 lead before Columbus once again pulled level and then went ahead with under three remaining in the third period thanks to Mathieu Olivier's 17th of the season.
25 seconds later, Aatu Raty got on the board for a second time in the game to tie the game up at 6-6, however the Canucks would go on to fall in a shootout, with Port Moody B.C's Kent Johnson scoring the lone goal.
Despite the loss, Vancouver picked up an important point in the standings and now sit just four points back of the St. Louis Blues for the final wild card spot, with Rick Tocchet's group having a game in hand.
Vancouver will be back in action on Sunday when they wrap up their six-game road trip against the Winnipeg Jets with a 12 pm PT puck drop on Sportsnet Pacific.
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