"You can't pour gasoline on the fire": Canucks HC Rick Tocchet demands consistency, bluntly criticizes Elias Pettersson's linemate

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Oct 29, 2024 11:00 GMT

Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet wasn't impressed with one of the team's top lines after their 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.

Even though the line, comprising of Elias Pettersson, Nils Hoglander, and Conor Garland, has been effective in recent games, it ended up being the lowest five-on-five minutes among the Canucks lines in the first 40 minutes of the game.

Tocchet decided to make a change, breaking up the line in the final period and replacing Nils Hoglander with Arshdeep Bains. The trio had only five shots on goal during the game.

In his post-game comments, Tocchet stressed the importance of consistency and the need for players to refocus after any lapses in performance. He pointed out that even if a player has a bad shift, it's crucial to bounce back on the next one to avoid a downward spiral.

"If somebody's gonna have a bad shift, I get it. Or maybe there were 2 bad shifts in a row, but we need that 3rd shift to get back to what we're talking about. You can't pour gasoline on the fire."

"I just think you gotta stay focused on your task at hand. You can't have those lulls. I think sometimes we lose a little bit of focus in certain parts of the game, and then the next line loses focus." Tocchet said.

Tocchet also singled out Hoglander's performance for criticism, indicating that adjustments were necessary to get the team back on track.

"Obviously, when you change, you don't like it, right? So, I didn't like a couple of things there. You know, I didn't like Hoggie at all. He's... you know? Listen. I'm not gonna pick on that line. I just felt that I wanted to make a couple of changes," he added.

With one point shared on the night, the Vancouver Canucks moved to the third place in the Pacific Division with 11 points. They'll face the New Jersey Devils next on Wednesday.

Hurricanes HC praised Sebastian Aho's performance against Canucks

Sebastian Aho scored the game-winning goal for the Hurricanes in their 4-3 overtime victory over the Canucks. Notably, this was Aho's 57th game-winning goal of his career.

After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour praised Aho, highlighting his potential to set numerous records by the end of his career. He said (via NHL.com):

"He's going to have all the records when it's all said and done, and he should. He's the best player when his career is all said and done, I think, quite easily, and that's saying a lot."

Aho has racked up eight points through three goals and five assists in as many games this season.