Rick Tocchet crowns Conor Garland as Canucks' "best player" in loss to Rangers after juggling to-be-father duties

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Nov 20, 2024 15:44 GMT

Conor Garland played for the Vancouver Canucks against the New York Rangers, which ended in a close loss. Garland stayed focused while managing the emotions of his wife, Meghan, who was about to give birth to their first child. The couple, married in 2023, is preparing to welcome their baby.

Garland’s day began at the hospital, where he spent hours with his wife. Unsure about playing, Garland decided to be with his team. Canucks coach Rick Tocchet praised Garland’s dedication, calling him the team’s best player that night.

"He's gonna probably have a baby here soon. Was up at 3 in the morning. Was up again at 7. No sleep, and he was our best player. What can you say? You love the kid,” Tocchet said.

Conor Garland played over 20 minutes and scored a crucial goal to tie the game at 3-3. He also drew two penalties and created power-play chances for the Canucks. Garland has 14 points in 18 games and is on pace for a career-high 63 points.

Conor Garland and Vancouver Canucks fall 4-3 to Rangers

The New York Rangers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 at Rogers Arena. Chris Kreider scored the game-winning goal in the third period. This was the Rangers' third straight win and their fourth in the last five games. Their record now stands at 12-4-1.

Mika Zibanejad, Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko each had a goal and an assist. Adam Fox added two assists, and Igor Shesterkin made 21 saves. The Rangers were efficient offensively, scoring three of their goals on rush plays.

Quinn Hughes opened the scoring for Vancouver just 34 seconds into the game. Zibanejad quickly tied it with a deflection. Elias Pettersson contributed two assists, and Arturs Silovs made 29 saves, but the Canucks struggled to maintain their momentum.

With the loss, Vancouver finished their six-game homestand with a disappointing 2-4-0 record. Rick Tocchet pointed out the Canucks' missed opportunities in key moments.

“The last two games we played hard, just couldn't make that key play,” Tocchet said (via NHL.com). “They made the key play. We didn't. That's what it comes down to, key plays that we didn't do in the last couple games. So we'll learn from that.”

Hughes praised his team's effort despite the challenges.

“Guys are going through a lot, but I’m really proud of the way we responded tonight, and how we battled and competed," he said.

Hughes expressed confidence in the Canucks' unity and future progress.