Canucks must 'want that big moment' vs. Oilers in Game 7, coach says
All season long, the Vancouver Canucks have preached resilience.
Now comes the ultimate test.
After an ugly 5-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, the Canucks need to once again showcase their ability to bounce back as the two teams prepare for Game 7 on Monday night in the second-round playoff series.
“Our job right now is we got to flush this game,” said coach Rick Tocchet. “Obviously some guys know that they need to play better. And you’ve got 48 hours to get your energy back. That’s just the way it is.
“It’s a Game 7. People would kill to be in this situation right now. And we’ve got to act like we want to be in that situation.”
Closing out a series against the Oilers was never going to be easy, said Canucks right winger Brock Boeser. It took Vancouver two chances to eliminate the Nashville Predators in round one, he noted.
“I think we knew this (second round) was going to be a hard series from the start and it’s gone back and forth,” he said. “I think that’s the beauty of playoff hockey. We’ve got to forget about this one, focus on playing better next game and bringing that effort.”
Vancouver hasn’t lost back-to-back games since March 25 and 28, but the stakes haven’t been higher this season.
The winner on Monday will face the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference final.
Vancouver needs to treat Game 7 like any other game and as a great opportunity, said Canucks captain Quinn Hughes.
“If you told us we’d have this opportunity in September, we probably would have taken it. We probably would have taken it three or four weeks ago as well,” he said. “We’ll be excited.”
The Canucks know they had room for improvement Saturday.
Edmonton outshot Vancouver 27-15, and the Oilers blocked another 12 attempts. The Canucks also had 25 shots miss the net.
“I mean, it’s not a recipe for success,” Elias Pettersson said. “Obviously we’ve won games when we have not many shots. But it is what it is. They won today. It’s a seven-game series for a reason. I’ll focus on that.”
The Oilers also smothered the Canucks’ power play, with Vancouver going 0 for 4 with the man advantage. The Canucks haven’t scored on their last 12 power plays going back to Game 3.
“Obviously not good enough,” Hughes said. “And we’re going to have to be ready to go. We want to be at our best when it really matters. And we’re going to need to do that.”
A veteran of 145 NHL playoff games during his time as a player, Tocchet is well aware of what it takes to win in tough situations.
He wants his players to stick together heading into Monday’s game. He wants them to take short shifts and play with desperation.
“These are big moments and you’re looking for guys to want it, want that big moment. Don’t be scared of it. Go after it. That’s my advice to everybody,” Tocchet said. “There’s a lot of players and teams that are going to be watching that game. I think we play the game as players to be on that stage. Play like you want to be a hero on Monday. That’s what I think.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.