Yes, the NHL season is 82 games long, but even after the first three, going 0-1-2, it seems that many members of the media and Canuck fans alike have already hit the panic button, the same goes for their attitudes towards EP40.
Here is Sportsnet's 650's analysis of Pettersson's game
After their 2nd loss, which came at the hand of the Philadelphia Flyers, it seemed as head coach Rich Tocchet had grown impatient at the lack of offensive production. Pettersson's line finished with the lowest 5-on-5 ice time among all Canucks forwards.
Pettersson has been quit to address any issues or media since the season has started, but after the Canucks' loss to the Tampa Bay Lighting for their first game on the road, Elias Pettersson finally spoke after practice today (October 16th).
All in all, Pettersson did not address his struggles directly, he more commented on the overall issues the team is having and you can tell by his comments and body language that he and the team is dejected. There is still a lot of hockey left, but they cannot be happy with the way the season has started.