Bruins 5, Canucks 1: Dreadful Vancouver as powerless as a B.C. ...

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The Province

The Vancouver Canucks lost another game in an ugly way.

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Published Dec 14, 2024 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 5 minute read

Boston Bruins' Morgan Geekie (39) celebrates his goal with Pavel Zacha (18) and David Pastrnak (88) as Vancouver Canucks' Erik Brannstrom (26) skates past during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, Dec. 14, 2024. Photo by ETHAN CAIRNS THE CANADIAN PRES /THE CANADIAN PRESS

The lights were on at Rogers Arena Saturday night, but watching the Vancouver Canucks play, you’d have thought they were like the rest of the Lower Mainland: totally without power.

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Playing against a team that had given up 13 goals in their last two games, after absolutely dominating the Florida Panthers in their last game, you’d figure the Vancouver Canucks wouldn’t have looked like a busted B.C. Hydro transformer in the first period, but that’s what they were.

Against these Bruins, who are a shadow of the club they were just two seasons ago, the Canucks were flat. Lifeless. No sign of an electric current. They lost 5-1 to the Bruins because they just didn’t have it.

Through two periods they had one shift of sustained pressure, which came after they were down 4-0.

Through two periods, they had drawn exactly one power play off the NHL’s most-penalized team.

The Canucks are apparently battling the flu but this performance was so comprehensively listless you can’t help but wonder what is wrong in Mudville.

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The icings

Four times the Canucks iced the puck despite not really being under pressure. That led to both goals, Tocchet said.

It was truly baffling.

“The icing is inexcusable for all of us,” Tocchet said flatly.

The mentality

“We talked about a certain play we want to do against Boston. We didn’t do it till maybe in the third… I think that pisses the (coaching) staff off, because we had a good game plan,” Tocchet said.. But somehow, when you chase the game … when you got the puck, it’s like a hot potato, all of a sudden, I don’t want it. So what do you do? Just get rid of it. So I think we got to calm the waters.”

Tocchet then went further, suggesting there is a handful of players who are struggling to flip the switch.

“Let’s face facts here for four or five guys, they’re struggling. They’re struggling to get emotionally invested in the game, and that’s my job, to get these guys, still certain guys, we gotta find another gear from them. You gotta understand that it’s the NHL, and you can’t play one good game. … You’ve got to be jacked up,” he said.

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The losses

The thing is, the Canucks are still sporting a pretty decent record.

The problem is the losses. They’ve won 15 games but just about everyone of the eight losses makes you raise your eyebrows at the very least.

They’ve lost twice to Tampa, outclassed in each. They were skated out of the rink by New Jersey. The Oilers and Islanders did much the same a month ago. Then there was an ugly loss to one of the league’s last teams this season in Nashville. Just about the only regulation loss you can say this season that maybe the Canucks deserved better was the 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers, the first game the Canucks played without J.T. Miller.

Heads-up

Tocchet was also critical of his team’s execution of the game plan, or lack thereof. He truly believed that there was a spot to put the puck into more than once. Turn the defence around, make them scramble.

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“The weak side was open a bunch of times tonight. We just couldn’t find it. We just, we didn’t see it tonight. Skate four or five more feet. Hit the weak side. It’s open. Instead we’re jamming it on the strong side,” he said.

An old rugby coach of mine used to talk about “don’t accept pressure,” as in, the other team is going to pressure you but that’s just something to push back on. Don’t let them force you into what you don’t want to do, rather channel their pressure and find the weak spot and make them uncomfortable.

Net-front scramble

That, for instance, was what the Bruins were after. Make some chaos in front of the Canucks’ crease. They’ve defended the slot so well this season, but if you make it a challenge, push hard on their strength, you might find a gap somewhere.

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Brad Marchand, playing in a building where he’s found so much success over the years, said the Bruins had game-planned out a couple little plays to try around the goal area and they worked, obviously.

“We did a good job of getting pucks to the net and trying to get bodies there. When you create havoc, it’s hard to defend and we did a good job at playing direct to the net and trying to play off that shot,” he said.

David Pastrnak had three assists, creating lots of opportunities for his linemates.

“Demko hadn’t played for a while, so we didn’t want to make it easy on him and we wanted to get the bodies in that front and get a get some shots on early,” the Bruins star said. “He’s a great goaltender, but, you know, missing so much time, it’s never easy.”

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The boo birds

There were lots of empty seats yet again, another statement about ticket prices and those that were here were not impressed.

The boos started during a second period power play and recurred here and there as the game went along.

With the lowest listed ticket price at more than $100, fans deserve to be entertained.

The product isn’t good enough.

Defensive disaster

The Canucks have been an outstanding defensive unit for the most part this season, so the first period performance truly stood out.

Natural Stat Trick credited Boston with 12, yes 12 high danger chances. No team is going to misfire on all those chances.

It was a staggeringly awful first period for Vancouver. They couldn’t defend and they couldn’t generate anything offensively either.

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The Bruins outshot the hometown team 16-4 in the opening frame.