Rick Tocchet challenges Canucks to step up after letting two winnable games slip

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Cooper Godin
October 15, 2024 (9:05)

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Rick Tocchet says the Vancouver Canucks need to get going quickly after two winnable games last week that saw them drop points.

The Vancouver Canucks started the 2024-25 season with back-to-back losses last week against the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers. In both games, the Canucks had the lead only to go on and lose to Calgary in overtime on opening night and to the Flyers in a shootout on Friday.

As the Canucks kick off a three-game road trip in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, head coach Rick Tocchet knows his team can be better after two winnable games that they lost and wants the group to get going quickly to avoid falling in the standings early on in the new campaign.

"Maybe a little bit of success last year and you come in lazier," suggested Tocchet. "I don't know and I'm not pointing fingers at the players, but they were both winnable games. We have to get to our staples really quick. We've got to start going through people and I don't think we're battling as hard as we should. It is early, but we've got to get to it."

There are some small differences that Tocchet pointed out when compared to last year's team that he isn't liking at the moment. One of those being their line changes and he mentioned that some players are staying on the ice to 50 second+ shifts, which wasn't something they would do last year.

"For me, it's simple things. It's our (line) changes and I don't like them this year. And guys are overextending and staying out there for 50 seconds. We're doing stuff that we didn't do last year for the majority of the time." Tocchet said.

It's still a bit of an adjustment period for the club. General Manager Patrik Allvin brought in a number of key free agents in the offseason and it's going to take a little bit of time for them to gel, but there's no reason to panic yet as they're only two games into the season.

After tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Canucks will travel south to take on the Florida Panthers before heading up to Philadelphia to battle the Flyers on Saturday for the second time in eight days.