Canucks fall short in trying to win consecutive home games for first time this season

New York Islanders' Bo Horvat (cenre) breaks free from the check of Vancouver Canucks' Dakota Joshua (left) and Carson Soucy during first period NHL hockey action in Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, November 14, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam

For fans who left Rogers Arena disappointed after the Vancouver Canucks’ 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday, Rick Tocchet is determined to deliver a better experience going forward.

“It's on me,” he said. “Guys played light tonight. I thought we were ready to go. We weren’t.”

For the first time in nine games, the Canucks scored the first goal. But after 40 minutes, they were trailing 3-1 while being outshot 24-6. Once again, they failed to string together consecutive home-ice wins for the first time this season.

“It's a frustrating situation because the fans are ... what is it? Two, three, four, or 500 bucks a ticket, and we're throwing some duds at them,” Tocchet said, after the Canucks fell to 2-3-3 on home ice.

“I give the Islanders credit. We played a great, well-coached team tonight. And you know, Patrick (Roy) out-coached me tonight.”

When Tocchet started his coaching career as an assistant with the Colorado Avalanche in 2002, Roy was still playing for the team. Both coaches are now Jack Adams Award winners, but Thursday was the first time they’d squared off behind the benches.

“Tonight was a huge team effort,” said Roy, who saw his team pick up its first win in three games and improve to 7-6-4 for the season. “Everybody played real solid: defensively, offensively, goaltender. I thought we were on the puck, sharp and good forecheck, good O-zone pressure, we defended pretty well. it was a good game for us.”

It was a big night for Bo Horvat, who tallied two assists. It was the second game back at Rogers Arena since the former Canucks captain was traded in January, 2022. He earned his first win as an Islander in his fourth game against his old team.

“To get finally rewarded for playing the right way, it definitely feels nice,” Horvat said. “We knew all along if we were playing the same way and playing that way, we're going to get rewarded eventually. It definitely felt nice to get rewarded tonight.”

Tocchet has been concerned about the Canucks’ starts, but the home side set a positive tone early when J.T. Miller fed Jonathan Lekkerimaki for a snap shot from the left wing that beat Semyon Varlamov at 2:40 of the first period. It was the first-career goal for the 20-year-old, who was playing his second NHL game filling in for the injured Brock Boeser on Vancouver’s top line.

“It means a lot,” said Lekkerimaki, whose parents were in the stands to witness the moment.

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes acknowledged Lekkerimaki’s goal, as well as Dakota Joshua’s return to the lineup after undergoing surgery following a testicular cancer diagnosis in September.

As far as the outcome, “I try to pride myself on staying even keel,” he said. “If we won 7-1 tonight, I'm not going to be thinking we did anything special. But obviously, frustrated.”

“We just keep making a habit of making other teams nights' way too easy,” added Miller.

Now 1-2-0 on their current six-game homestand, the Canucks have been outscored 13-8 in those three games. And while all eyes are on this weekend’s Grey Cup festivities across the street at B.C. Place, the hockey action continues this weekend.

Connor Bedard will play his first-ever NHL game in his hometown when the Chicago Blackhawks visit Vancouver on Saturday, then last spring’s first-round playoff foes the Nashville Predators will be the opponent on Sunday.

The homestand wraps up next Tuesday, against the New York Rangers.

“I apologize to the fans again,” Tocchet said. “We've got to correct this.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.