Rick Tocchet shares what the Canucks have learned from playoff loss to Oilers
Photo credit: NHL.com
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has shared what the team has learned from their playoff loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
It's been over four months since the Vancouver Canucks were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers. Everyone was extremely proud of what the Canucks were able to do last season, but it was also an opportunity for the team to learn and take those lessons into the 2024-25 campaign and use them to push forward.
Rick Tocchet was a guest recently on the Missin Curfew podcast where he was asked what the team learned from their second round loss to the Oilers.
"Game Six we didn't play that well. The first period of Game 7, we were just, we were nervous somehow and then we started to get our game. So I think, you got to understand when the pressure hits. It starts here in September, like you got to work on things now for those pressure moments. We had that four-minute powerplay that I don't think we even got a shot on net, 0-0 hockey game, we had a couple guys who had some breakaways." Tocchet said.
He added, "You know, there's a lot of what ifs if we win that game. So I think it's really about the guys understand that it's going to take another level. I mean, Edmonton is an unreal team and you need more. So, this year you know, every year I try to think of a saying. Last year was meet pressure with pressure. This year for us, it was, we have higher expectations. You know, like people are thinking are we legit or just a one and done type. Higher expectations and we got to embrace it. It's going to be harder and we know it's going to be harder. So condition your mind it's going to be harder and as a group when you condition yourself and I hate to use the word easier, because it's never easier, but you adapt to those pressure situations a lot quicker."
He added, "You know, there's a lot of what ifs if we win that game. So I think it's really about the guys understand that it's going to take another level. I mean, Edmonton is an unreal team and you need more. So, this year you know, every year I try to think of a saying. Last year was meet pressure with pressure. This year for us, it was, we have higher expectations. You know, like people are thinking are we legit or just a one and done type. Higher expectations and we got to embrace it. It's going to be harder and we know it's going to be harder. So condition your mind it's going to be harder and as a group when you condition yourself and I hate to use the word easier, because it's never easier, but you adapt to those pressure situations a lot quicker."
The experience the Canucks gained last season will help them significantly this season and they've even added some players in the off-season who have been in those pressure situations Rick Tocchet talked about including Jake DeBrusk and Vincent Desharnais.
Vancouver will hope to show everyone that they're not a one-and-done type of team when they kick off the season next week on home ice against the Calgary Flames.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 1 | 234 ANSWERS Rick Tocchet shares what the Canucks have learned from playoff loss to Oilers Will the Canucks make it to the Western Conference Final this season? | ||
| Yes | 201 | 85.9 % |
| No | 33 | 14.1 % |
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