"If it's trend for 4-5 games, I'd be worried": Rick Tocchet doesn't overreact to Vancouver Canucks blowing huge lead in 6-5 loss to Flames

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Oct 10, 2024 08:21 GMT

Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet remained calm and composed despite the team's disappointing 6-5 loss to the Flames. Tocchet acknowledged that the team's performance was not up to par, especially in terms of their defensive play.

Although Tocchet highlighted the need for the team to improve and return to their defensive strengths, he refrained from overreacting to a single game result, stating that it would be more concerning if such issues persisted over several games.

He said:

"I’m not going to overreact the first game. I mean, we were heavy in training camp with a lot of transitional stuff, and I was a little worried about this, because we got away from our identity. Our play without the puck was not good.

I got to take a little bit of the blame, because I was really heavy this year in training camp on the transitional and we did D-Zone drills, but not as much as we did last year.

“Now, like I said, it’s one game, so I’m not going to… players know they got to be in certain spots, they weren’t. If it’s a trend for four or five games, I’d be worried. But it’s one game and you know, we’ll sharpen up tomorrow," Tocchet added.

The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their season against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with a strong start, taking a 3-0 lead in the first period.

However, things took a turn as the Flames began to fight back. The Canucks went on to blow a commanding lead, with the Flames scoring four unanswered goals, ultimately taking a 5-4 lead late in the third period.

Just when it seemed like the Canucks were going to lose, J.T. Miller scored a crucial goal on the empty net, tying the game and forcing overtime, where the Flames prevailed victorious.

Although the Vancouver Canucks managed to earn a point, the overall performance was disappointing for a team that had high hopes after finishing atop the Pacific Division last term.

The Canucks return to Rogers Arena on Friday to face the Philadelphia Flyers. The puck drop for the game is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.

Kevin Rooney suffered injury against the Vancouver Canucks

Calgary Flames forward Kevin Rooney exited Wednesday's game against the Vancouver Canucks after taking a hard hit from Canucks J.T. Miller, causing him to crash on the boards in the first period.

Rooney required considerable assistance to leave the ice after the hit. The Flame later announced that he was being evaluated for his condition and made the decision to rule him out for the rest of the game.

As of now, there has been no additional update provided regarding Rooney's health status following the incident.